National City's Collection of Heroes
by Thewallflowerwithasword
Summary: Nadine Pickett was more than happy to be Gotham's Green Lantern. She'd gotten use to dealing with the Bat clan and possibly having a Gotham Crazy as a roommate. All it took to disrupt that was Supergirl's coming out and a Kryptonian werewolf. Now Nadine's in National City and nowhere near her comfortable norm. This happened because of tumblr
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: okay, this happened because I was rewatching Supergirl and thinking that Lucy Lane would have made the perfect villain for season two because she becomes Superwoman in the comics. Seriously, how could they give up Lucy?! She was freaking awesome and Mon-El was a damned disaster. If you like Mon-El, I'm sorry but he was a very poorly written character and Maxwell Lord was a better character than him. Re-watch it and compare...and now I'm ranting. This is why I blame Tumblr.**

 **I took a little break from Athena but I do have her next story outlined and ready to be written but I got kidnapped by Supergirl before I could start.**

 **I don't own Supergirl or the Green Lanterns, just playing**

Chapter One: A Lantern Meets a Super

Let's see, how do I want to start this? Well, I guess a name and occupation would be a good place. Okay, so, my name is Nadine Pickett and I'm a Green Lantern (sometimes inventor, the royalties help pay the bills). Have been for going on three years now. I became a Lantern when the Green Lantern Crops on Oa went through something of a rebirth.

There was this whole thing with Hal Jordan being possessed by Parallax (fear monger dude)…well, it was complicated. Easy to say that the Corps nearly ended and was rebuilt by some of the remaining veterans after helping Jordan re-imprison big yellow guy Parallax back into the Central Battery. That's the thing that all Green Lanterns draw their power from even if they are just using the more iconic (and mobile…meaning not inside a planet) lantern shaped power battery. So when that kerfuffle was all said and done, and they went started to rebuilt, the veterans decided to add extra lanterns.

Seriously there are over three thousand sectors and only one lantern per sector before. How is that an effective peacekeeping force? Sounds like someone wasn't thinking that one through when they first started sending out rings like drunks playing a game of darts. Which leads back to me and how I became a Green Lantern.

It literally hit me out of nowhere. I'd just finished my first year at Gotham University, going for a masters in engineering; I'd transferred over from after getting my bachelors at Metropolis University of Applied Science (on par with MIT). My uncle had had connections that he had no problem using so that when I graduated high school I could get into any college I wanted. I'd graduated early just before my seventeenth birthday. Those full ride scholarships applied to both schools if I kept my grades up; which I was.

Finals were over and I'd just gotten back to my little apartment that I'm pretty sure I shared with one of those Gotham crazies. Well, if she wasn't then she should have been, that girl was nuts. Anyways, I was coming back from picking up dinner, had just set the pizza on the kitchen counter when this green ball of light flew in through the kitchen and smacked me in the head. Had a goose bump on my temple, the ring on my finger and a throbbing headache when I woke up. I was whisked away not two seconds later to Oa.

Like I said, that was three years ago and now earth has five Lanterns spread across the globe including myself because humans and aliens be crazy. The increase of alien refugees coming in, seeking asylum and safe harbor, hasn't helped humans natural instinct to dislike what's different. I had originally been in Gotham because that's where I had been living when I was recruited but when the Guardians (mostly Kilowog) found about Fort Rozz prisoners becoming active (mainly the Kryptonian ones) I was sent to visit National City.

See, there'd be a recent issue with a deranged copy of Superboy (we call him Superboy-Prime) going on a rampage that took a sentient planet to help stop. I like Mogo, the planet literally saved my life during that mess. The whole Crops, who could be spared, was in on that. Superboy-Prime murdered a whole planet and thirteen lanterns before he was stopped. Had to have Superboy (first one) and Superman to help as well.

So, because I had experience with supers…everyone else had been on earth or hadn't been chosen yet…I'm the one who got to make the trek to National City when Supergirl put on her cape. Needed to know if she was a clone or not and to find out what her intentions were. Plus, the Guardians had an ultimatum for the Fort Rozz situation.

Super-douche…I mean…Superman, hadn't told us that there was another Kryptonian on earth. We asked because we'd heard rumors of Fort Rozz crashing on earth. Not that the Lanterns had anything against her but Kal-El (dude is Clark Kent, I know this because I drew glasses on a picture of Superman because I was bored) never said anything about there being another of his kind on earth when the Lanterns were asking him questions after Superboy-Prime was captured.

It's just the Fort Rozz we heard of is the same Fort Rozz that belonged to Krypton and was their prison ship that stayed in the Phantom Zone. A pocket of space that exists outside the normal constraints of space and time; meaning that things that usually get sucked in don't come back out and time has no meaning there. A thousand years could pass and a person would not feel the ravages of it.

If a Lex Luthor clone could murder the population of one planet without being enhanced then what could a normal Kryptonian do? Also, I remember when Superman decided he didn't like the Bat and tried to destroy half of Gotham to get him. So between Superboy-Prime and Jealous Superman…well, you can say that these incidents made an impression on the newly rebuilt Corps and myself.

***GL***

I'd taken a plane to National City because I didn't know how long this was going to take. Didn't have any baggage to claim, just a back pack as a carry on. I was about to jump on a bus when my ring went nuts in my head. It was always scanning for danger and found it in the form of a bomb flying away from National City. That was decidedly weird.

Quickly jogging away from the station I called up the power of my ring. I've never figured out where my clothes go when the near skin tight suit comes out of the ring. Freaked me out the first couple of times that I was in the suit but I decided that it was just easier to not think of it because once the suit goes away my clothes come back. Hey, clothes aren't cheap…even at Walmart.

My suit was the usual black, white and green but I had a jacket and a utility belt. The jacket was green with white piping and black shoulders with the Green Lantern logo (a sideways green tie fighter) was on my left shoulder. This was an addition that I'd made upon my first arrival at Oa. I wasn't comfortable with just wearing a skintight cat suit, body image issues. Only thing that stayed skin tight were the pants, which were black, with green boots. I stole the idea of the utility belt from the Bat. Held useful items.

Greatest thing about my suit was the mask. The mask was deep green and turned my eyes a very pale color so that their real color wasn't discernable. It completed the look and made me feel at one with my Green Lantern self. Only a handful of people know who I really am and I like to keep it that way. More so that I can be impartial when I am acting as a Green Lantern than worrying about a secret identity. I'm supposed to be an intergalactic peacekeeper and even though I don't have much of a personal life but I still like it to be personal as possible.

Anyways, hate talking about fashion, I jumped into the sky, stashing my bag on the airport roof before willing myself into flight to find the floating bomb…that was gaining altitude away from the city. Again, weird but I quickly caught sight of why the bomb was going up. The blue and red streak was very telling.

Supergirl was doing her hero thing and getting the bomb away from where it could hurt people or property. I slowed down and watched her work, figuring that she'd chuck the bomb at some point. She didn't and got a face full of fiery explosion that I could feel from where I was, quite a ways away.

The force of the blast pushed me backwards and the only reason I knew that Supergirl was alive was because of my ring. It showed me her trajectory heading out to sea. She'd been knocked out and had no control over her descent towards the water. She was moving with a great deal of velocity.

Putting double effort into my flying, I caught Supergirl in a green bubble about a hundred feet before she hit the water. She looked way young up close and nothing like the other super that Earth claimed (most Earthlings that was). Supergirl had blonde hair where his was black. There were a few similarities if you looked close I guess, the strength of the jaw and the cheeks.

This was not how I wanted to meet the girl, hey…at least she wasn't a clone. Ring told me after I scanned her to make sure she was okay. Shaking my head, I carried her back towards the shore were helicopters were screaming our way from the desert. There had been rumors that Supergirl was tied in with a military organization. Only covert peoples want black helicopters and travel in packs.

With a sigh, I set us carefully down on the beach and waited. Supergirl was just knocked out and had a strong heartbeat so her waking up was a matter of time. Now to pass that along to the angry looking woman with the gun. She'd been out of the helicopter before it'd even fully touched down and was glaring at me like I'd personally offended the human race or had been the one to hurt Supergirl.

"Who the hell are you?" she demanded after her eyes had flicked to the snoring Supergirl

I frowned at her "I'm a Green Lantern. Does the suit and mask not give it away?" I asked titling my head slightly "the emblem perhaps?" I tapped my shoulder just below the lantern "the green and black?"

"What are you doing here Green Lantern?" another woman asked, standing just off to the side of the first one.

"I'm here under the order of the Guardians," I said as calmly as possible "they've sent me to National City to talk Supergirl. She's fine by the way, just knocked out."

First woman gritted her teeth and her finger twitched at the trigger "you are not taking Supergirl anywhere!"

I frowned again "why would I take her anywhere? If I wanted do that I wouldn't have waited for you to arrive," I sighed "is there someone else I can talk to? A higher up?"

"Ma'am," Second Woman called to First Woman "director wants us to bring the Green Lantern in."

First Woman nodded "right, you're coming with us," she used her gun to point towards the helicopter "move!"

I didn't move and Second Woman muttered "Agent Danvers, she's not a threat. If she was she wouldn't have saved Supergirl from the water."

"Exactly, Agent Danvers," I smiled at her which only made her snarl more pronounced if that was possible "you could ask me in a professional manner."

"Move or I'll shoot," Agent Danvers growled "how's that for professional."

I snorted "rather crappy," I said honestly and reached out with a green hand to tug the gun out of her hands and tossed it over my shoulder "that's better, I don't like guns pointed at me. Now, which copter am I in or do you want me to follow behind? I can fly."

"This one!" Second Woman cried quickly, her gun lowered and pointing to the helicopter on the left. It was opposite of the one they'd put Supergirl in "come on before she really does shoot you with her sidearm."

***GL***

Their base was so clichéd that it was ridiculous. An underground base in the California desert. I had to resist the urge to ask them if they'd ripped off Area 51. The agent I was following had identified herself as Agent Vasquez, who'd explained on the helicopter ride that I was going to have to fill out a lot of Non-Discourser Agreements when we got to their headquarters. The government and their secrets. Now that I was in their headquarters I really wasn't that impressed.

I watched them cart Supergirl off down one hall with Agent Danvers hot on their tails while Agent Vasquez led me down another. To what closely resembled an interrogation room but with more chairs and a large screen TV instead of a two way mirror. She left me alone there and informed me that their director would be there shortly.

Well, this was boring. Green Lanterns, when wearing our power rings, feel neither the elements, hunger or thirst nor the need to use the bathroom. We don't sleep either because all that fun stuff is regulated by the ring. Which means that I couldn't take a nap while I waited. Why was I such an anti-napper as a child? Only time I get to sleep now is when I take the ring off but I'm too busy for that.

However, I have learned to meditate…whilst floating. It helps strengthen willpower by learning how to focus the mind and multitask. Pretty sure they were watching me float in a green blob in perfect lotus form. I dated a yoga instructor once…so limber but the relationship didn't last long. It was the ring bringing me out of my trance with a [incoming: Human and Green Martian] in my head. Sort of a still-small voice whispering that I can see in white block letters. I don't think too much on it because that would give me a headache.

I raised an eyebrow and watched Agent Danvers burst through the doors followed by a tall, broad shoulder man with dark skin. They were both glaring at me and I found myself curious how a Green Martian came to work at the DEO. Wondered if the DEO knew he was working for them. I unlaced my legs and floated back down to the floor.

"I'm Director Henshaw of the Department for Extra-Normal Operations," the big man had a booming voice as he sat down at the table, huh…even more curious "who are you, Green Lantern?"

I smiled and sat down across from "I am just Green Lantern. The others might use their real names but I'm here in an official capacity so it's just Lantern if you don't want to use the whole thing," I grinned "now as to why I'm here. Like I told Agent Danvers here, I am here because Superman never mentioned that there was another Kryptonian on earth, plus the whole Fort Rozz thing. What really brings me here is that universe in general has been subjected to bastardized clones of Superman. We had to imprison one three years ago, so you can imagine our surprise and apprehension at Supergirl's sudden appearance. Though you'll be happy to know that she is not a clone."

"Of course Supergirl isn't a fucking clone!" Agent Danvers snapped looking like she wanted to come across the table and smack me "and she isn't dangerous!"

I didn't flinch at her tone "Agent Danvers, the very nature of clones is to look exactly the same. I have already scanned her and know she is not a clone. Are you not ascertaining if I am a threat at this current moment while you are talking to me? Now, I just want to talk with her and that is all," I stayed calm as the woman before me fumed "you have to understand that the Green Lanterns have seen the destruction that the clones are capable of, as has Superman. He was there when we took down Superboy-Prime."

"Why did Superman not tell us about this?" Director Henshaw demanded

I tried not to roll my eyes at him "how would I know?" I asked in return "I know not what's in the mind of that douche…ugh, guy…" I stumbled over my correction and caught Agent Danvers's little smirk "I don't know what he's thinking or why he keeps secrets. You'd have to ask him. After my chat with Supergirl we can talk about the situation with the escapees of Fort Rozz."

"Fine," Henshaw nodded (confirming our rumors by not correcting me for like the hundredth time that I've mentioned it) and cut off Danvers's protest "just a talk and I want to be in the room with you when this happens."

"The more the merrier, just as so I get to talk with Supergirl." I shrugged

***GL***

They let me out of the interrogation/conference room and allowed me to hang out in their command room. Actually, I was under the supervision of Agent Vasquez. The woman was pretty chill and wanted to know all about the Green Lanterns. Probably more of a fact finding mission considering the sink eye we were getting from Agent Danvers from across the room.

I could feel Agent Danvers's ire, it was very palpable and it made me wonder why she was acting this way. Made me wonder what connection she had to Supergirl or if the woman was just always hostel. I was about to ask Vasquez how long Supergirl had been with the DEO when my ring buzzed [incoming: Kryptonian and Green Martian] (again, not a clone).

Looking back over my shoulder I saw Supergirl exit a corridor behind me with Director Henshaw beside her. Supergirl looked better than the last time I'd seen her, she was awake and walking about. I got to my feet and held my hand out to a weary Supergirl.

"Lady El, it is a pleasure to meet you," I bowed my head to her and she hesitantly shook my hand, squeezing painfully as she did. Nothing happened and she quirked an eyebrow up as my ring read out the results of her scan "congratulations, you are not a clone. The Guardians will be very happy to hear this. Also, you're not going to hurt my hand."

"Wh-why would I be a clone?" she asked, her voice low and confident despite her sputter.

I stood back and held my hands behind my back "because Kal-El did not tell us of another of your people being on this planet. He was asked specifically because there is a settlement for any surviving Kryptonians. The Green Lanterns sought out and found the ones who'd been off planet when Krypton exploded. They merchants, separatists and a lost unit of soldiers. They were offered the chance to relocate to a planet under a red sun similar to Rao."

Supergirl paled and had to sit down quickly "what?" she could only blinked at me

I knelt down before her "you are not the last daughter of your people, Lady El. There are others out there. With Kal-El on earth we thought there might be more to find their way here. That is a certain possibility with the presence of Fort Rozz."

"I never considered that," Supergirl gaped "why haven't they come forward before?"

I shrugged "Superman was not well liked before, especially by the US Military and given what happened with Kon-El and Superboy-Prime, they probably figured it was safer to hide."

"Who is Kon-El?" Supergirl frowned and snapped out as she surged to her feet "I am the eldest of the House of El. I am its head and I know every member of my House. I do not know that name!"

I frowned as I followed her up and shook my head "that is probably something you should discuss with your family member. However, I can inform you and the DEO, that in light of those events concerning Kon-El and Superboy-Prime, it is now Intergalactic Law that the cloning or the conversion of DNA to Kryptonian is illegal."

Agent Danvers sputtered out in surprise before Supergirl could respond "what do you mean 'the conversion of DNA to Kryptonian'? It's possible to become Kryptonian?"

I nodded "yes, but it's very much illegal."

Supergirl cut in to explain where I did not "a dozen years before I was born, Krypton was at war with a race called the Ma'Tak. Their scientists found a way to convert their people so they'd pass through our cities undetected. They were terrorists that were near impossible to stop. The Green Lantern for my sector intervened but some of their scientists escaped," she glared at me "why is only now that the Guardians are making more Lanterns for the different sectors?"

I shrugged and Supergirl rolled her eyes at me before I asked "Lady El, do you intend to follow in Kal-El's footsteps?" I asked "to use your powers to protect the planet Earth?"

"Yes," she said without hesitation, her chin had raised up "why do you ask?"

"The Guardians wanted to know your intentions for putting on the cape," I tilted my head slightly and asked "and I was curious. What do you intend to do about those who were aboard Fort Rozz?"

Supergirl took a deep breath and stated firmly "I intend on stopping them, earth is my home."

I nodded "what about ones whose sentences have ended and do not intend on causing trouble on Earth?" I wanted to know "what about the ones you have already caught and are holding without due process."

Henshaw smirked "just how would you like to give them due process?" he demanded "we are a secret organization, we can't just hold trials for them."

"The Guardians are willing to try them for you," I didn't shrink under his tone, he really wasn't that intimidating. I've met scarier beings than him "for thousands of years the planet Krypton and the Guardians were allies. The Guardians are still willing to honor that agreement," I looked back to Supergirl "if you wish, Lady El, as you are the highest ranking Kryptonian on this planet."

Supergirl nodded and asked "what exactly does this agreement entail?"

"Relocation, rehabilitation, re-incarceration and resources," I sighed "if they have served their time and want off planet, we will help. If they can be rehabilitated back into society then we will, which leads back to relocation if they want. The re-incarceration speaks for itself."

Director Henshaw, his arms folded across his chest and demanded "and resources?"

"The Green Lanterns have a vast information network, supplies, non-lethal weapons, doctors and Green Lanterns themselves," I stated simply "we are concerned about the alien presence in the city; violence from both alien and human. All we want is peace and order."

Supergirl shifted from foot to foot as she thought about it "can we think of this?" she asked glancing at Henshaw as she spoke "for a couple of days?"

I nodded "of course," I offered as my ring buzzed again with more information "now, if you'll excuse me, I am being called to Oa. When I am done there, I will return for your answer," I relaxed when the buzzing stopped "and Supergirl, about Kon-El…I am sorry to have to be the bearer of such news."

Supergirl nodded "it would seem that I need to have a conversation with my cousin and remind him who is head of our House," she did give a weak smile before bowing her head to me "it was an honor to meet you, Green Lantern."

I smiled and bowed my head to her in return "the honor was mine, Lady El. May your House prosper."

***GL***

I streaked across the desert to collect my backpack from the airport. Using the moment there to make sure that my ring was powered up. I was heading for Oa which mean opening a portal/worm hole to Sector Zero. With my ring full charged and my pack retrieved I shot into the sky and quickly rocketed out of Earth's atmosphere. That was always trippy, heading out into space where I shouldn't be able to exist without a ship or suit.

A lot of Lanterns did travel by ship depending upon what they were doing, how far they were going. However, a Lantern had the ability to travel through space just their ring's power. Problem with that was if the ring lost power then the Lantern was pretty much screwed. Result was death and the ring going off to find someone else to continue the Lantern legacy and the pervious barer was left to the void of space. (Hint, that's why I topped off my ring)

Somewhere just past the moon, safe in my green bubble, I opened the portal and threw myself into the swirling purple cloud. The trip was relatively short, traveling great distances in the blink of the eye. One moment I had Earth and her moon to my back with Mars quite the distance away and the next I was looking up the largely desolate planet of Oa.

Oa was home to the Central Power Battery for the Green Lantern Corp and home to the Guardians. I say the planet is 'largely desolate' meaning that it's mostly desert and its inhabitants who came back after the issue with Parallax lived in the highly advanced Guardian City. I can only image what it is like for them to see thousands of extra Lanterns buzzing about.

I dropped by the Cathedral first to let one of the aids there know about my arrival and my request speak with the little blue beings that ran the place. I let my mask dissolve before I headed down to the Dining Hall were most of the Lanterns were milling about. Just because we didn't need to eat doesn't mean that any of us were about to give up the habit. Plus take the ring off and back to normal usually means low blood sugar, I keep candy bars in my utility belt for that.

***GL***

In the Dining Hall, I encountered Jared Cole and Kyle Rayner, also from Earth. They were the senior Lanterns for our sector. Apparently they'd heard a rumor that someone from Fort Rozz had left earth. They were out recruiting for someone they called The General.

"What?" I shook my head, sitting on top of the bench, resting my forearms on my knees "how did they get off-world? We haven't marked any ships leaving the planet recently…have we?"

Rayner just folded his arms across his chest "no, but we haven't been actively monitoring earth until three years ago. I'm more worried about the fact that the rumor is connected to rumors of Red Lanterns on the move again. The Black Lanterns were supposed to have gotten their leader under control but they haven't reported in that they've reached their home world in Sector 0666 like they promised," he didn't look happy about that

"Is that why I was called back?" I asked "because of the Reds and Blacks? I thought we had that sorted out."

Cole shrugged and spoke in that silky English accent, he was sitting next to me on the table "don't know why you were called back, luv, could have something do to with National City's shadier alien elements for all we know."

It was my turn to frown, nodding and lead me to asking "ever hear anything about a government group called the DEO, Department of Extra-Normal Operations?"

Cole chuckled humorlessly "government types, worked with Superman for a while. Henshaw supposed to be a real alien hater once upon a time but seems to have mellowed out. Managed to stave off a few invasions. Loads better than Project CADMUS, that's for such," he snarled "wouldn't mind getting my hands on that lot, bunch of sickos dissecting aliens and using them as spare parts. Why?"

"Because that's who I found Supergirl working with and, by the way, Henshaw is a Green Martian, or the Green Martian replaced the real Henshaw," I told them "I didn't get the chance to ask."

Cole stood and shook his head "sounds like some tosser's got his balls in the mix there."

"What?" Rayner and I frowned in response

The English gent sighed and shook his head "sounds like someone's playing with smoke and mirrors."

"Okay, that made more sense," I chuckled at him "and I agree. Though I didn't feel him trying to read my mind."

"Probably didn't want to give himself away," Rayner pointed out "Green Martians are all pretty much in hiding. The Whites don't care if they have to trek halfway across the galaxy to get their hands on one."

The conversation kind of ended there before I could ask more about Fort Rozz because the Guardians' aid found us. I was wanted in their council room. Rayner and Cole bid goodbye to me and promised they'd catch up with me before I left back for earth. Nodding in agreement, I turned and followed the aid back up to the Cathedral.

***GL***

For such small beings they sure sat on tall seats. There were eight of them on their very tall column seats. Each void of emotion and immortal. In my personal opinion, that made them every much as dangerous as any criminal brought before them. A lot can be said about compassion and understanding.

They listened in as I reported what I knew about Supergirl. She wasn't a clone because the ring would have said otherwise. I did think that she was young, great inexperienced and needed a lot more training. She was confident and willful in her stance that she wanted to help Earth and those who lived there.

The first Guardian to speak did so in a strange, flat voice that all Guardians had "we've heard many rumors regarding the city and Earth itself. Rumors that are disturbing. The humans' fear mongering and tactics are starting to draw the attention of those who are drawn to the fighting along with the refugees fleeing before them."

"Guardian?" I frowned questioningly "what do you mean?"

"There has been a sighting of the criminal Lar-On, report suggests that he was heading for Earth and that he was being called there by The General," a second Guardian stated and then shook its head "he is a very dangerous individual. He was exposed to red kryptonite while on his world. Closest human terms for what he became would be a werewolf, a Bestial Kryptonian."

Another Guardian spoke up as I just gaped at them, honestly I can't tell them apart "you have new orders, we want you to move to National City and watch over the alien population there. Keep an eye out for Lar-On, he is very much wanted by this council for multiple crimes."

I sighed, I should have expected this because…of course they wanted _me_ to go there. It was wishful thinking that another Lantern would be placed there. There was so much that I was going to have to do before I could even start to move. Mainly looking for a place I could live that I could actually afford on what income I did have. Having an actual day job was not compatible with being a Lantern.

The Guardians let me go once they'd finished their long winded and slightly confusing orders. Couldn't they have just said 'go to National City, a disturbance in the force, this is' would that have been so hard? It was a good thing that my ring knew what my orders were because I totally zoned out after the revelation of a Kryptonian werewolf…because that's not scary at all.

As was tradition, I headed down to the Central Battery to power up my ring whether it really needed it or not. Every Lantern did this when they came to Oa. We all had our own little lantern batteries but this tradition dated back to the founding of the Corps. That was where Rayner and Cole found me, waiting in line for my turn to recite the oath.

"So, do I tell them about the Kryptonian werewolf or just let them figure that one out when it pops out of nowhere?" I asked trying to keep my tone even as we walked away from the central battery "because that has me freaking out!"

"Good thing greens are allowed to feel fear now," Cole sniggered slapping me on the shoulder "calm down, Pickett. Remember to breathe."

Rayner just shook his head and stated calmly "you are a Green Lantern, Nadine. Trust in yourself and if you get into trouble you can always call for help."

***GL***

First thing I always do when I return to Earth is I call my best friend and the only person I consider family on this miserable planet. I met Lena Luthor when I first started at Metropolis. For some odd reason I had been placed as her roommate and she instantly attached herself to me; this awkward and lost seventeen year old. She was maybe a year or two older, doing two degrees at once with one already under her belt.

She left university a year before me, going to Paris to help with a struggling research branch there. Lena made me keep in contact with her; a therapist that Lena had me see told me that I had detachment issues steaming from a childhood trauma. Didn't need the four hundred dollars an hour to figure that bit of wisdom. Lena decided that she keep herself attached to me, outcasts had to keep together.

Lena nearly broke my eardrum when I told her that I was moving away from Gotham. She'd been trying to get me out of the city since I'd become a Green Lantern. Could have had more to do my roommate. I will admit that my roommate wasn't the most stable person in the world but she did pay her bills on time and was never late with her half of the rent.

Guess Lena wasn't a big fan of the 'not stable' part of my roommate's personality. When she was done squealing she told me to pack my shit and head for Metropolis. Then I reminded her that I didn't own a vehicle capable of transporting any sort of luggage. My graduation present from Lena, the only one I'd accept, was a rather nice Ducati motorcycle. Lena, herself, taught me to ride it and helped me get my motorcycle license.

Lena huffed and told me to let her think about it and then hung up on me. I just sighed and returned home. Harley had gotten extra takeout in case I'd be home that night, which I thanked her for with a hug that made her laugh. Of course, she snuck into my room later that night when I was asleep to hack into my computer and watch Netflix until she was tired enough to sleep. I really wasn't surprised that I woke with Harley basically draped over me.

The surprising bit was Lena sitting on the other side of me eating a bowl of cereal. She raised an eyebrow at Harley's sleeping form. At least Harley had an oversized t-shirt on this time; last time Lena was here Harley been going through a 'hating clothes' phase.

The hardest part of the day was informing Harley that I was moving. Harley's attachment issues were a lot more complicated than mine. After the threatening with a knife, the brokenhearted sobs, the drinking and Harley passing out on the couch, Lena and I got to work packing my meager belongings. My in-home lap took the longest to get packed.

Took most of the afternoon because I decided not to take any furnishings with me expect for a table that my uncle had given me before he'd died. Man was a true-blue marine and had been killed in action on tour in Iraq. Woke Harley before we left, which got awkward when she kissed me on the lips and told me that I couldn't hide from her…then passed out again.

***GL***

Lena worked her magic and within a day found an apartment on the 'good side' of National City…which she bought outright so that there was no need to pay rent. Actually, she may have bought the whole building and called it an investment. Lena was taking a big interest in National City now that I was moving there.

Things with LexCorp…or was it still LuthorCorp? Anyways, with Lex in jail, found guilty of mass murder with only sentencing left, the fate of the company was up in the air. Lena had already been in talks with the lawyers about her taking over the CEO position. Which, Lena swore, that if she did become CEO then her company was getting the hell out of Metropolis where Superman ruled public opinion.

To celebrate my last night on Lena's side of the country, she took me out drinking. We went to her favorite bar. Of course it was a gay bar that was owned by friends of Lena's and got us in for free. I was never one to be brave in situations like these, not even when liquor tended to make me…a sliver-tongued devil as Lena would say.

Lena and I were at the bar when a familiar brunette crashed into me on her way to the bar "how shit!" the woman, Lois Lane of all people "Nadine Pickett!" Lois grinned and pinched at my cheeks, she was obviously well into her night "what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be pestering Gotham?" she demanded, of course she knew how I was.

"Shouldn't you be following around tall, dumb and flighty wanting a quote?" I shot back "not drinking in a gay bar?"

Lois snorted and drew herself up straight, wobbling on her high heels "bitch, please! I can do what I want…whom I want. Clark can suck it…" she leaned closer and giggled "plus, I'm here on a story, don't tell anyone."

"Lois!" a younger brunette with very pretty green eyes pushed her way through the crowd to get to the bar "what the hell, Lois!" she growled getting over to the tipsy reporter "how are you so fast in those heels?"

Lois shrugged "practice baby sis, oh shit!" she giggled before getting me into a headlock "Lucy, Lucy, Lucy!" she chanted "this is Nadine, she's a friend…and Luthor-girl too."

Lena smirked as 'Lucy' helped free me "never change Lane."

Lois froze and squinted her eyes at Lena "did you just make a joke, Luthor?"

I winced at the gleeful light in Lena's eyes "no," Lena snorted "but your father did…oh, about nine months before you were born."

Lois gasped "you whore!"

"Are you sure you want to call yourself that?" Lena asked and threw back her drink "self-deprecation is never an attractive trait, Lane."

I grimaced and grabbed 'Lucy's' hand as Lois was gearing up for her retort and I pulled 'Lucy' away from the danger zone. The woman tried to protest but I pulled her towards the stairs and the second floor bar that was much quieter than the one downstairs. I brought her a drink as an apology.

"Sorry about that but it seemed easier and safer to run for it than get pulled into their bantering. Trust me, they do not care about casualties when they really get into it," I told Lucy as we waited for our drinks "I'm Nadine, by the way."

"Lucy Lane," the woman chuckled and smiled at me "I didn't realize that my sister knew Lena Luthor well enough for drunk snarking."

I snorted "they don't need to be drunk for that but they do enjoy it immensely. Happens every time they run into each other," I leaned in closer to Lucy, damn she smelled good…like honey melon "lesser known secret is that they are actually friends in some weird way. I've seen the texts that are actually civil."

Lucy grinned "I think I'm going to remind Lois of this every chance I get."

***GL***

Somewhere between the drinks and talking, the dancing that Lucy pulled me into and the stolen kisses on the dance floor, I fell in love with Lucy Lane. She was smart, easy going and seemed genuine in a way that few people at bars were. Lucy was beyond gorgeous and I felt connected to her in that I've never been with anyone else. Now, just because I have problems forming attachments and deep personal connections doesn't mean that I'm not capable of falling head over heels.

I really didn't want this night to end which was probably why I didn't protest when Lucy whispered in my ear that we should go find someplace more private. Like the guest room I was staying in at Lena's apartment. I didn't want just one night with Lucy and I had the naïve thought that I could get more if I showed her the best night of her life.

She was gone the next morning when I woke. The side of the bed still had a trace of her warmth but cool enough that she'd been gone for a while. I decided not to dwell up this, it was easier just to bury my feelings and get on with my day. So, I got up and showered. Was eating breakfast when I got to witness Lena's walk of shame.

Her clothes were beyond wrinkled, her hair looked like she'd stuck a knife in the kitchen outlet, there was a lingering hint of another woman's perfume and there was a familiar shade of lipstick smeared on Lena's neck. I could only blink at Lena as she stole my orange juice and gulped it down, it'd hit me who's lipstick that might be.

"Please tell me that you and Pushy Lane didn't…ya know," I gaped at Lena "she's dating Superman…fucking Clark Kent. What the hell happened?!"

Lena had a slight smirk on her lips as she collapsed into the chair next to me "liberal amounts of alcohol and Lois's very curious nature. She and Super-douche had had a fight and she was looking for an outlet," Lena pushed up her sunglasses "I was very happy to be that leg trembling, foul mouthed, multiple orgasms outlet."

I could only shake my head at her "and they say you don't have the Luthor streak in you, you devious and beautiful woman, you," Lena snorted at the comment "but you do realize that you will have to move now that you've defiled Superman's girlfriend."

Lena giggled manically "several times and I was moving anyways. I bought more than your apartment building, Bab," I still hate that nickname "I am moving L-Corp to National City…oh, and renaming it if you hadn't noticed."

Yea, I'd noticed and could only gape at my friend as she stole my cereal. After breakfast and Lena's shower, we started out cross country trip to get to National City. Sure, we could have shipped my things and I could have caught a plane but then I won't have gotten to spend as much time with Lena.

My new apartment was near the top floor, had three bedrooms, one she could crash in if she wanted and the other as a lab for me. It came fully furnished already (I'm sure that was Lena's doing) and…most importantly in Lena's opinion, it had a balcony. As she told me; every superhero needed a balcony…it was in the job description.

***GL***

My return to the DEO came just after Supergirl had dealt with the bomber. A former employee of Lord Technologies that Agent Vasquez was positive that still working for Lord. The bombs had been to test Supergirl and her abilities. Evidence showed this and the fact that Lord had paid for all the medical expenses that the Bomber's daughter had incurred with her stay in the hospital due to some rare condition.

As Agent Danvers was off base it had Agent Vasquez who made sure that I wasn't shot by overzealous agents. That was nice of her and she even led me to Henshaw's office too. Answering my questions as we went, catching me up with current events on the way.

"Supergirl isn't here, Lantern," he grumbled after glancing up and went back to his paperwork "come back later."

I sat down across from him in the only other chair in the room "I'm not exactly here to see Supergirl. First of two things, the Guardians of Oa have assigned me to National City in response to a rumored threat."

Henshaw leaned back in his chair, throwing his pen to his desk "what threat would that be?"

"According to the Lanterns, a Kryptonian named The General has put a call out to any Kryptonians who may have survived Krypton's destruction," I explained "One such survivor is named Lar-On. Not a criminal originally but a geologist who was exposed to natural red kryptonite whilst exploring the planet's core."

"He went into a rage?" Henshaw gruffed

I shook my head, so wishing that was only it "no, it turned…him…into a werewolf," I grimaced at that "I am not joking, Director Henshaw. Lar-On was turned into a wolf like creature much like Hollywood has pictured. He escaped Krypton before they could put him in Fort Rozz. That's as far as the Kryptonian files go. I don't know where he's been or when he'll arrive."

Henshaw just blinked at me "what are your plans for stopping him?"

I shrugged "I have no clue. I've never faced something like him but I know that Hal Jordan learned how to make his green will force to mimic the effects of green kryptonite. I was thinking about finding out how he did that," I scowled "means I'll have to go back to Gotham to find a very grouch bat."

Henshaw smirked "the Bat is paranoid of his own shadow."

"As someone who lived in Gotham and worked as a crime fighter in the city, I completely understand," I really did, I was happy that I never had to face The Joker "however, this is something that I'll have to talk to Supergirl about. I know that Lar-On was not the only one who turned into a beast on her planet."

"Good idea, just be tactful about mentioning the kryptonite idea," he glowered, don't think this man had a happy setting "what was the second thing you wanted to talk about."

"I know you're a Green Martian, the ring told me so don't lie," I was truly interested as to why he was hiding where he was "I'm not going out you or anything, just curious is all."

He growled and his eyes flashed red "the real Hank Henshaw tried to kill me in Peru ten years ago, I was saved by a good man who lost his life saving mine. I decided to honor that man by assuming Henshaw's form and actually doing some good for the world with the position he held."

"The real Henshaw ever coming back because I heard he wasn't a very nice guy?" I questioned, hooking one leg over the other

The Henshaw before me smirked darkly "only if he can come back from the dead."

"Oh, so there's a chance," I nodded thoughtful before asking "what has the DEO decided to do about the Lanterns' offer to Supergirl about allying with Oa?"

Henshaw raised a dark eyebrow "you have no problems with me?" I shook my head "really?"

"Yep," I nodded "there are far worse things out there than what you're doing. It doesn't break any of the Oa's laws so I don't have a problem."

"Don't you care about Earth's laws?" he snarked

"Nope, I'm not employed to enforce those," I shrugged "maybe if the governments of earth allied with Oa…maybe but still no."

He nodded before asking "and if you were to ally with us? What then?"

"Then it would be up to the discretion of my superiors," I informed him "I'm really hoping that you all have agreed to the offer, it would make working here in National City easier. I've been assigned to the city because of Lar-On's threat."

Henshaw smirked "I would rather have you under my watch then let you run around the city; helps keep this place secret if I know what you're doing. Supergirl advocated for the co-operation and I agree. How well my superiors in D.C. are going to like it is questionable," he sighed heavily as he leaned forward "you'll need to fill out forms, legal stuff for you to be our liaison with the Green Lantern Corps. We will pay you."

"That'd be nice, actually, won't lie…" I leaned forward and whispered "being a Lantern isn't a positive on a resume. I haven't had a regular job since I was in college," Henshaw chuckled about that with me "so, would it be possible to keep my real name out of your records? Not that I really have anyone, ya know, family to protect or anything it's just…"

"When you're in the suit your strictly a Green Lantern?" he parroted my words from our first meeting "sorry, but I can classify them if you'd like."

"That'd be dandy, Director," well, it was just partially what I wanted and that'd have to do.

"I'll get those forms for you to fill out, come back tomorrow morning."

That as an obvious dismissal because the man went back to his paperwork. Agent Vasquez was happy to hear that I would be working with the DEO. That's when she told me that she had been friends with Kyle Rayner before he'd become a Lantern. They'd gone to high school together. I was going to have to get her to give me stories on the man.

We were heading out of the DEO when Supergirl arrived. She looked frazzled and overly surprised to see me again but greeted me with a stout handshake when she thought herself out of the hug she'd almost given me. When Supergirl found out that Agent Danvers wasn't in, she asked me to go flying with her.

***GL***

The end of the flight found us sitting on top of CatCo eating ice cream that we'd had gotten for free after stopping an armed robbery at Supergirl's favorite ice cream shop. We were sitting on the edge, looking out over the city. Supergirl was right, this was the best ice cream I'd ever had.

"How did you become a Green Lantern?" Supergirl asked toying with her cup of frozen dairy

I shrugged "the ring chose me and at first, I thought it had made a mistake," I smiled ruefully at the memory "I argued with my mentor. Greens are supposed to have strong wills and I didn't think I had one. I was a loner…am a loner…sort of."

"What did your family think?" the blonde Kryptonian wanted to know "or do they not know?"

I had to laugh at that "I haven't talked to my family in ten years and I highly doubt they'd care so…" I shrugged "my best friend knows and is aware of where I am. I think she tracks me with a tracer, to be honest. My former roommate was always snarky about me coming home bruised up but I think that was her way of caring."

"So, do you have anyone in National City?" Supergirl asked worriedly

I shook my head "nope, Lena is in Metropolis and Harley is back in Gotham."

"Huh…" Supergirl made an unhappy grunting noise before she stuck her hand out to me "my name is Kara Zor-El or Kara Danvers here on Earth," she smiled at me "now you have someone in National City. I'll be your friend and introduce you to my Super Friends…"

"Ugh…" I hesitantly shook her hand as I let my suit drop to reveal myself "I'm Nadine Pickett. I don't mind meeting your friends but I'm not sure about them knowing I'm a Lantern," Kara finally let my hand go "not that I care I just…" yea, I was really uncomfortable with the prospect of meeting her friends.

"Uneasy about it?" she asked knowingly and I nodded "not easy letting new people in, I can totally understand that…" she paused and looked back towards the door to the roof "you should put your suit back on, Ms. Grant is coming."

I had the suit back on and we were standing when Cat Grant came through the door onto the roof. She was chatting on her cell phone, carrying her bag and jacket over her arm; she looked annoyed. Ms. Grant faltered when she saw us standing at the edge of the helipad.

"Anderson, I'm going to have to call you back," she ended her call and raised an eyebrow up and over the edge of her sunglasses "Supergirl, what are you doing? Having a superhero convention on my roof?" she eyed our ice cream cups "oh, just girls and their ice cream, how very millennial," she huffed "well, you're going to have to take it somewhere else. I'm waiting on a helicopter, I've a meeting in Central City that I don't want to be late to because of loitering superheroes. Though I would like an interview with you, Green…whatever…when I get back."

"Me?" I asked surprised and pointed towards myself

"Ugh…" Ms. Grant shook her head "yes of course you, do you see Supergirl in green?" she huffed and made shooing motions at us "now, go find something productive to do, save some orphans or something, chop, chop!"

***GL***

Hanging out with Kara at her apartment just being Nadine was weird and uncomfortable in the beginning. However, Kara's naturally bubbly self was hard to resist and I found myself relaxing whilst being drawn into her shinny orbit. We were sitting on her couch eating pizza, watching TV while she was spouting idea about how we meet.

"Why not keep it simple?" I asked sneaking another slice of sausage and onion "we bumped into each other while getting coffee and geeked out over this," I held up my phone, it was a gift from Lena and the new model of the Luthor cellphones. Kara had geeked out over when she seen it "I do inventing in my free time and you had questions as you like science and could understand what I was spouting. Nothing of that is a lie expect the coffee bit."

Kara thought about and grinned "I like it, so it's nice to have someone who actually wants to speak tech with me. I was a prodigy on Krypton you know, in the science guild. Literally born to it. Alex doesn't like speaking tech with me because I'm supposed to be normal."

"Alex?" I frowned questioningly "boyfriend? Girlfriend?"

Kara wrinkled up her nose "ewww…no, she's my sister. She works at the DEO, she threatened you with a gun. That ring a bell?"

"Oh, the angry agent, gotcha," I nodded in understanding "what's her deal anyways? She's kind of scary."

"I thought Green's weren't supposed to feel fear?" Kara asked with a chuckle

I shrugged "nah, we fixed that."

"You know," Kara said after a while "you should join us for Thanksgiving. There's only going to be a small group of us and it'd help you to start feeling more comfortable with my friends. I mean…unless you already have plans, which is totally possible," she sputtered, waving her hands about "I didn't mean to imply that you didn't have plans, you could totally have plans…"

I stopped her and chuckled "thank you for the invite. No, I do not have plans. Lena had a family thing and I'm pretty sure that Harley still wants to stab me for leaving."

Kara's eyebrows shot up "okay, wow…really?" she asked "she wants to stab you?"

I nodded "pretty sure," and shrugged "not the first time she wanted to stab me. First time was when I brought a girl home and she stayed overnight. Harley liked sneaking into my room to watch TV on my computer, like a safety net for her I guess. Didn't like that she couldn't do that."

"Why didn't you move?" Kara demanded

I shrugged "because I liked Harley. She was protective of me in her own way and didn't mind me having walls. She didn't mind the quiet or my lab being the kitchen table. Harley would never actually stab me…fatally anyways."

Kara snorted "well, you need better friends," she smiled broadly then "and I'm going to help you."

Oh, man…what have the Guardians got me into this time?


	2. Chapter 2

**4th of July, presents for everyone...well, written presents...that I've already posted on AO3...and am catching up here...but presents :)**

Chapter Two: Well, That's Awkward….

Working with the DEO was different then what I was used to. I was used to working basically alone. There were the slight occasions when one of the other Lanterns needed help, on or off the planet. Was so not used to having a Bluetooth in my ear and listening to chatter from the DEO, or having them hear me. I tend to sing or make random snarky comments, talking to myself is a popular pastime as well.

Also annoying was the amount of paperwork that Henshaw had me delving through to make me a part of the DEO without me being an actual part of the DEO. He wanted to have the bases cover for his new liaison and to keep my name classified. Too many people already knew for my liking.

Thanksgiving at Kara's was a bust and I got ousted by myself…my freaking self as the Green Lantern to Kara's very upset sister, Kara's IT friend Winn and Kara's foster mom, Eliza. I am so, so not confident as just regular ole Nadine. Seriously I'm like two different people and Lantern me is so much braver and more confident than me me. …I cracked like an egg under Eliza's motherly glare. It was so embarrassing but I was literally saved by the mother/daughter argument that came from Alex telling her mother who she really worked for.

That had broken up the party. Winn and I fled to a diner that was open for the holiday where we talked until the power suddenly cut out; for some reason he kept asking about my suit and what it was made of and who designed it. To me it seemed that Winn just didn't want to go home so I mentioned that there was a shit-ton of ice cream in my freezer that was going to melt.

Lena had left the day after getting me situated and checking on the half-finished building she'd bought. The building has lost its backer and had just been sitting half-finished for the past year. Lena thought it would be perfect as L-Crop's new headquarters and had work scheduled to start back up within the week.

Winn and I finished out our holiday sitting in the dark, eating half-pints of melting ice creaming and bonding over shitty childhoods. His dad had gone to jail for murder and my father should have gone to jail for attempted murder. We sat on the floor with our backs to the couch and candles on the coffee table as we exchanged stories.

I'd never done that before. Told anyone what growing up was like for me because I honestly never thought that anyone would understand but Winn did. We listened to each other without judgment and switched cartons from time to time until we fell asleep leaning against each other.

***GL***

The power was back on when we woke the next morning and that was about the only good thing to happen that day. No one had mentioned that Kara had gone up against a metahuman and totally got her butt kicked. Meaning…that no one called me to say she needed help.

Well, I guess that was alright. I'm new in town and they wouldn't have thought of me as helpful. Plus, I'm a Green Lantern…just not the Green Lantern that normally takes on metahumans. That's the Lantern from Central City, placed there after S.T.A.R. Labs had their particular accelerator exploded.

What do I get to do instead? I got to do paperwork and evaluations; finally finishing it all off so I was considered a liaison between the DEO and the Green Lantern Corps and allowed in the field on DEO missions. Only person eager for the evaluations was Agent Danvers because she was the one who got to test my hand to hand combat skills.

I wasn't allowed to use the ring (another reason she was chosen) and as the 'Green Room' was closed to the rest of the base, I went along. Alex was good, really good but she wasn't trained by Kilowog. He believed that Lanterns were better with ring powers if they had a firm foundation in all areas of combat.

Kilowog wanted us to know how things worked, how things moved and how things reacted in order to better use our powers. He'd seen too many lanterns perish because they weren't fully trained before the rebirth of the Corps. Kilowog had made a promise to make the Corps better starting from the ground up.

When Alex called an end to the sparring match, we sat on the edge of the platform trying to catch our breaths. Alex was drinking from a water bottle and I was working on breathing techniques to calm my body down before I put the ring back on. I was irked with myself because I wasn't as in shape as I thought I should have been. This Lantern was going to have to start working out again, I'd gotten lazy.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Alex asked curiously

I shrugged as I slipped on the ring and called my suit back up "from my mentor on Oa when I first became a Green."

Alex nodded before asking "why do you prefer no one know your name? The other lanterns aren't shy about their names being known," she asked, this was such a tiresome question (another reason working alone was preferable)

"It's easier being the Green Lantern than it is just being me," I confessed just wanting to be done with the question "as a lantern I know what's expected of me and what I need to do, I don't have that as normal me."

"You know that my sister is going to try and cure you of that," Alex smirked knowingly "she's going to get you to come out of your shell and you can't stop her. Kara is like the sun, inevitable. It comes up each morning and will continue to do so until something happens."

I wrinkled my nose up at that "I'm not sure I like that idea. I like my shell, it is safe there."

Alex just hummed as she stood and held a hand out to help me "that maybe, but Kara will get you out of it."

I wanted a change of subject now as Alex pulled me to my feet "hey, why does the DEO still use conventional weapons?" I was actually curious about that.

The agent frowned as she stood "what do you mean?"

"Bullets are useless on pretty much ninety percent of all aliens you're going to encounter," I pointed out "you're wasting just ammo. Why not build energy weapons. They can be non-lethal, can put a welt on a Kryptonian or they can kill."

Alex snorted "because those are easy so to get our hands on," she snarked "more often than not, the alien tech we bring in is already busted or sent off to a science lab that's not ours."

Well, that was going to have to change I decided. What was the point of having a weapon if they didn't get the job done? I was going to have to fix this or it was going to bug the hell out of me.

***GL***

Normally I didn't mess with weapons. As a Green Lantern I didn't need them I could literally make my own out of willpower. I don't design them either because I like creative construction and helping people. So to fix the problem at the DEO, I reached out to a person (I saved their ass) who did make weapons, having to go off-world to find them. They gave me the blue prints and materials and called us even.

I'd been able to build three of pistols from the materials I'd scrounged up. It had taken a while because some of the components and materials for more weapons couldn't be found on earth. Things around National City had been quiet, no mention of Fort Rozz, so I had the time to work before I was summoned to the DEO. Another nice thing about working alone, I wasn't ever summoned by anyone other than the Guardians. The other lanterns requested help but never summoned me.

I got some strange looks from the girl at the drive-thru when I floated through to get donuts and pastries for breakfast (I'd been up the entire night before trying to fix a problem with the guns). She just nodded as I grumbled a thank you, encasing the warm box in another green bubble, the other was carrying the weapons case and took off into the sky heading for the DEO training field.

Supergirl was already there with Henshaw, Alex and Vasquez. Kara squealed when I set the box of donuts on the table under the pavilion tent. She pouted when I told her she had to share with me; her response was to hand over a twist and pointed to the other case as if to remind me that it was there.

I glared at her and shoved the whole donut it into my mouth, or tried to. Kara sniggered when Alex chided me for being childish (big sister mode as Kara called it). I was still glaring and chewing as I opened the case and passed Alex the tablet with the information on the guns. Vasquez and Henshaw were inspecting the weapons.

"Where did you get theses?" Henshaw demand in his normal gruff manner.

I stole another donut from Kara and swallowed the last one so I could speak "I made them, got the designs from an acquaintance who owed me," I explained as I watched Alex fight for a donut from her sister " had to re-working some of the components so they could be made out materials found here on earth. Should I have gotten more donuts?"

"Yes!" Alex and Kara confirmed at the same time

I know that there were more questions that they wanted to ask but we were interrupted by a small convoy of military vehicles pulled onto the site. Now I had questions and wondered if that was the reason for the summons. I followed the others as they went to greet the people exiting the trucks.

One was a very grumpy looking man, older with stars on his collar. He was human according to my ring and related to one of the other humans that had come with him. The vibe I got from this guy wasn't a good one and knew I wasn't going to get along with him right away.

"Director Henshaw," the man's voice was grating and filled with arrogance "I'm here to oversee the transfer of two of your assets to my unit immediately."

"General Lane," Henshaw greeted the man somewhat colder than his normal gruff, I raised an eyebrow as I recognized the name and wondered if he was connected with Lucy "what two assets?"

"The ladies in blue and green," he nodded towards Kara and me "they are coming with me today."

"They don't actually work for the DEO, sir," Alex was quick to point out "the Green Lantern is a liaison through our department and Supergirl has only agreed to work with us not _for_ us, sir."

"Is that right?" the man demanded looking to Henshaw.

I keep my mouth shut as Henshaw nodded "it is, General, you can check the paperwork if you don't believe me."

"Oh, we will," my heart fluttered at voice behind the words. Kara looked at me funnily as I watched my Lucy step forward and hand Henshaw a file "we've orders for Supergirl and the Green Lantern, executive orders directly from the president."

There she was, the woman I never thought to see ever again…right there in US army dress blues. Golden oak leaves on her shoulders, ranked as a Major…holy crap. Lucy all dolled up to have fun at a club was hot, extremely hot. Serious Lucy in uniform and this whole different persona; like kick ass and take names sort of persona, was volcanic level hot. Kara nudged me gently to break me out of my daze.

"To do what?" Kara demanded, folding her arms across her chest.

General Lane smirked at Alex's stance "this is my daughter, Major Lucy Lane; legal attaché to my staff. That order in her hand allows me to order you and the other one to fight my robot."

"Are you twelve?" I demanded angrily, forgetting about Lucy for a second and grunted when Alex smacked me hard in the gut "hey, I bruise easily, Danvers."

"Sorry, I'm used to smacking the Kryptonian." She apologized quickly

I gently rubbed at my stomach "well, you almost deported my breakfast. Not cool, Danvers, not cool."

"Now who's twelve?" Major Lane teased, her lips twitching as she held back a smile. Kara most certainly knew something was up now because that little smirk and tease sent my heart thumping wildly.

"I'm not the one who wants us to fight a robot…a frigging robot! Been there, done that and it was boring," I scoffed, trying to regain ground for myself "besides, what's the point?"

Major Lane just narrowed her eyes at me "you scared to fight a robot?"

"IT'S NOT A ROBOT!" a man cried from the back of one of the trucks, saving me from Lucy's squirming inducing gaze "it's an android! It is a combat android that an advanced A.I. intelligence," he sounded upset, everyone now looking at him "that I designed and built. So not a robot."

"Neither of them are fighting it," Henshaw growled lowly "I don't care what the president says. I am not endangering my people just to satisfy someone's curiosity."

Kara stepped forward then "I will, I'll fight it by myself," stopping whatever Lucy was about to counter with. Kara glanced at me before saying "I'll fight the robot."

General Lane grinned, it looked unnatural on the man's face "tomorrow, eleven hundred hours."

***GL****

Saying that Alex was unhappy with her sister was an understatement. Alex was livid and enjoying shooting things with her new gun way too much, she kept one and so did the Director. Henshaw had sent the blue prints and the third gun down to his engineering team with Vasquez in charge so to protect the tablet. He wanted them to start producing them once Alex was done testing their limitations.

Kara had tried to talk to me before she left to head to CatCo but I just shook my head. How could I explain what my deal with Lucy was? That I was the idiot who developed feelings for a one night stand and I don't even do feelings. One could only hope that I didn't run into Lucy again while she was in National City.

I helped for a bit just to show Alex the different settings. I'd almost gotten home so I could get some sleep when Kara called me, panicking over something that her friend James had done without Kara's permission. He'd invited his girlfriend, the gorgeous Major Lucy Lane, to Kara's game night…and my world ended right there. Kara was crushing on James, had been too nice to tell him no when he asked if it was okay if she came and now Kara needed extra bodies between the pair besides just Winn.

Kara promised me pistachio ice cream and tacos at our next hero's night. Then she reminded me that friends don't let friends deal with their crush's girlfriends alone. I wasn't sure if that was a thing or not but I couldn't tell Kara no. That bit of me that shuts down emotions did so and I couldn't come up with a reason to actually say no. It was after I'd hung up that I realized I was 'officially' Kara's friend and there was no coming back from that. Then she texted me and asked me to bring beer and lots of pot stickers, she was too anxious to do it herself.

I arrived at Kara's place a little bit early. She was pacing and devouring a whole pizza by herself. It was rather fascinating and gross to watch. Kara literally jumped when someone knocked on the door. I chucked at the sight of her hovering and peeking through the door with her x-ray vision. It was Winn with his arms full of board games.

He was surprised to see me but was happy that I was there. Between the two of us we got Kara to explain exactly what happens when a sun goes supernova. The technobabble was enough to calm the girl down and she was her normal self when James and Lucy arrived. I'd almost forgot they were coming.

James frowned when he saw me and asked just a few feet into the room "who's this?"

"Nadine is a friend of mine," Kara tilted her head at James, it was probably the sharpness of his tone that she was questioning "she's new in town and I thought it would be good for her to meet new people and make friends. She was here for thanksgiving."

I shrugged when James and Lucy looked to me, Lucy did a double take at me as I spoke "she felt bad for me when she split coffee all over me and my phone," I shrugged, Lucy kept blinking like she couldn't believe I was there "decided that I was a stray she needed to bring home."

Lucy chuckled and held out her hand, her confidence back in full gusto "Lucy Lane, it is nice to meet a fellow newbie to the city."

I shook her hand, she was going to play this as if we'd never meet before "Nadine Pickett, hello fellow newbie. Found anything worth seeing?" I asked letting go of her hand, I didn't want to "I found this weird dog fountain that looks like its peeing into a pool over by the courthouse."

Lucy smirked, her eyes shimmering with mirth "great Mexican taco stand shaped like a sombrero near CATCO."

I glared at Kara "there's a taco stand shaped like a sombrero and you didn't tell me? Your weakness is pot stickers, mine is tacos, Kara, tacos!"

"You didn't mention this dorky side when I meet you," Kara muttered as I tugged at her arm…that was me not knowing how to act when I was nervous.

I glared at her as Lucy chuckled and teased "it's cute, Kara. Now I heard there was beer and food."

I grinned, Lucy called me cute…or maybe it was just her trying to fit in…and the smile was gone. Kara dragged me over to the couch where Winn was setting up the first game of the night and food was waiting. Kara dragged me down to sit between her and Winn.

"What do you do for a living, Nadine?" James asked as he sat down on the couch across from us

"You don't have to answer that," Lucy insisted and glared at her boyfriend "don't be rude."

James just smiled "it's just a question, I'm just trying to get to know Kara's friend that she's said nothing about."

"And that's Kara's prerogative, James," Lucy countered, like she didn't want to actually hear my answer…or she was just upset with James "you're not her keeper and she doesn't have to tell every little detail of her life," Lucy grimaced and let out a frustrated sigh "sorry, lawyer mode."

James said not but kept his eyes narrowed at me "where did you move from?"

"Gotham," I shrugged stealing a pot sticker from a distracted Kara "moved there after college."

"What brought you to National City?" James asked as Kara realized I'd stolen her pot sticker

"Hey!" she cried indignantly and tried to get it back "you stole my pot sticker! Prepare to die!"

Winn got squished as I leaned back on him to get my plate out of Kara's reach. It didn't work as she climbed over me to get it because Winn snagged the plate and held it further out. Kara sat on us both as she ate her pot sticker in victory while we tried to shove her off of us because she'd changed her density to be heavier than she was.

"I forgot what it was like to have a sister," I muttered to Winn "we plan murder if she starts bouncing."

"I'm already planning," Winn gasped, he knew all about Melody and Riley (my sisters)

I could hear Lucy giggling from across the table "this is awesome, are game nights all this fun?"

"God, I hope not!" I gasped as Kara finally moved, grinning smugly, I hurried to get off of Winn.

"Seconded," Winn was red faced as he moved to the other couch to sit next to Lucy "please don't sit on me."

She patted him comfortingly on the shoulder "no worries, I know what it's like to be sat on. My sister used to do it all the time," she made face "kept stealing my popsicles that way."

"Sister?" I asked, grinning knowingly "wait…not Lois Lane?"

Lucy nodded, rising an eyebrow at me "yea, that's my big sis."

"Would be bad if I said, I'm sorry?" I asked and Lucy chuckled "I've met her before, she's rather pushy and very sassy in a grr sort of way. Came to Gotham when Super-douche…I mean Superman," I frowned apologetically at Kara, who just sniggered at me. James looked like he wanted to jump all over me "met him too, not impressed. Over used one liners and puns."

"Speaking of Supers, I met Supergirl and the Green Lantern today," Lucy jumped in quickly to stop James's rant "not what I expected. Superman gives off this air of superiority…"

"Professionalism, I think you mean professionalism," James corrected with a smug smile "Superman is…"

"Yeah…professional superiority is not that great," Winn frowned with a grimace "makes him sound like he has a superiority complex. Totally validates all those negative things people say about him.

"Sounds like a great guy," I nodded and looked to Lucy, smiling at her, it'd been rude for James to interrupt Lucy "what did you think of meeting Supergirl and the Green Lantern? I'm living vicariously here, Lane! I work out my home lab as a freelancer for Wayne Enterprises and sometimes LuthorCorp. I work on the things bugging Lena," I shrugged at Kara's curious expression "like fixing the screen for the new L-Phone. Broke too easily. Had beta help from Harley. If that screen breaks now then Lena's just shit out of luck."

"Ah…Lena, the best friend," Kara smiled softly "what she like?"

"Exceedingly smart, a worry wart, generously kind and caring," I shrugged, Lucy was watching me curiously "she wants to do good in the world. End world hunger, find the cure to cancer and things like that. She took care of me when I started in Metropolis when I was barley seventeen and completely alone, went all mother hen on me," I sighed and looked back a softly smiling Lucy "still living viciously here, Lane."

Before Lucy could speak, James started to growl "no, no, no! You work for LuthorCorp and you know Lena Luthor and are friends with her?" James demanded angrily, shifting in his seat and snapped at Kara "how can you trust her? You know what Luthor did to Superman."

"Family actually, not just friends," I countered "and that is so totally my cue to leave," I was nodding as I stood "I don't hang out with prejudice bigots who have no idea what they are talking about," I patted a sputtering Kara on the shoulder "thanks for tonight and for trying," I looked over at a fuming Lucy "it was nice to meet you Lucy, your boyfriend not so much...really. Catch ya later, Winn."

"Hey, do I still get to help with the…the lab thing?" he asked, hopefully.

I nodded "of course, how could I accomplish it without you?" I asked and he grinned happily

I saw Lucy smack James upside the head before I headed for the door and I smirked. Anger does not become a Green Lantern, it can led to bad things; but I could find joy in someone smacking him. In the past defending Lena from idiots always led to Lena bailing me out of jail for fighting. Her connections kept it off of my record.

After the last time, when the university had threatened to expel me, Lena made me promise to stop. To stop defending her like I was. It hurt to make that promise but Lena told me it was a losing battle. People were going to judge her either way, they'd always have an opinion no matter what she'd do. She always told me that as long as I believed in her then she'd be okay.

***GL***

I walked home and let the walk clear my head, plus my bike was still at my house as I'd flown to Kara's. The walk had somewhat helped and I was almost to my building when my ring started to freak out. I didn't have time to understand the warning before something smashed into the side of me. The force of the hit made me crumple the side of a parked car, it would have killed me without my suit.

Hands were on me before I could pull myself together, yanking me from the caved in car. She held me by the front of my jacket so I could look her in the face. The very strong woman with a white streak in her hair and her familiar blue eyes were hard and angry.

"I am General Astra, why are you here Green Lantern? Why are you with my niece?" the really strong and suddenly appearing woman demanded.

I held on to her wrists, wondering who her niece was "I am not your enemy here, General. I'm here to help you and your people."

The General snarled, her nostrils flaring "and how can you help me?" she demanded "you have not yet moved to save this world. You would let it perish."

"While that is a bit of an over-exaggeration, I have an offer from Oa, General," I explained softly to her "and it is for the prisoners of Fort Rozz. You and those with you in Fort Rozz, plus Supergirl and Superman are not the last sons and daughters of Krypton. There is a colony of your people out there. We offer a chance to all prisoners for re-evaluation, the chance to be free."

The General's face softened a bit "why would you offer us that and how do I know that you are not lying about the colony?"

"I can give you the coordinates to find the colony, I wouldn't lie about that," I promised "as for the offer, because Krypton's destruction changed everything. You no longer have your justice system to maintain order. Whatever you've done, General, can be forgiven. This is your chance to start over."

The General growled "I can never be forgiven by the one I need it most from," she snapped and pulled me closer to her "I will save this planet from the surge of humanity. In the thirteen years that I've been on earth, I've watched the humans try to destroy it."

"There are some who seek to fix it," I countered "why not work with them instead of whatever you've planned. Otherwise you seek not to help but to rule."

Astra hesitated and she blinked at me just before hands grabbed me from behind and threw me into a nearby building. My ring went nuts for a second time and I made out [incoming: multiple Kryptonians] before I was getting hit again, as I moved away from the building. That really, really hurt and even more so when I slammed by a very unforgiving body.

If I've wondered what a pinball felt like I now know after they caught me again. I'd tried to use ranged attacks to keep distance between them and me. They were moving too fast for me and there were too many of them for the ring to get a read on them. It was hit after hit until I put up a ball around myself and gave it spikes. One of the Kryptonians bulked and gave me an opening and I went on the attack. Probably not my best idea but I was committed. I've fought Kryptonians before but they were very different from Superboy-Prime.

The fight ended with DEO copters screaming in from the desert. A blonde man had me by the throat trying to break through the collar I'd created so he couldn't break my neck. This…Non (Astra was trying to get him off me) was standing in the middle of a destroyed street when Vasquez started opening fire on her with green glowing bullets. It was enough of a distraction that I got Non to let go of me with a very solid green ball to the stomach.

He grunted and then yelped when he was hit in the shoulder with a green bullet. The General was able to pull him away and command the rest of her force to leave. Non hovered for a second as DEO agents swarmed the street.

"This isn't over Lantern!" Non screamed in promise before she streaked off after his fleeing companions.

"LANTERN!" Vasquez caught me before my knees gave out, keeping me on feet. She pulled my arm over her shoulders and that hurt and made breathing harder.

"I think my clavicle and two rib are broken, and my left knee is killing me," I was ignoring the blood running down my face, and spoke through gritted teeth. I was concerned for Kara "where's Supergirl?"

"She was busy across town with her own emergency," Vasquez explained as we hobbled towards a nearby helicopter "why didn't you call for help?"

I chuckled darkly "didn't think of that," I admitted as she laid me on the floor of the helicopter, I laid there holding my sides "wasn't given much time to do much more than fight. They came in a pack and attacked with trained precision and were led by Astra."

"Supergirl's not going to like this," Vazquez muttered before tapping at her ear "this is Lighthouse Two, asset had been retrieved and all targets have fled. Returning to base for immediate medical assistance. Requesting cleanup crew to our current location."

"Lighthouse Two, how badly is the asset hurt?" that was Alex's voice

Vasquez glanced over at me before answering "pretty baldly, ma'am, looks like they ambushed her at high speeds. Broken bones are assured."

***GL***

They made me take off my power ring (which automatically went on to a necklace that I wore) so that I could be x-rayed and so they could pump me full of a special drug called Re-Gen which I'm pretty sure is just short for regeneration. They were so imaginative here. Like adding a sedative without telling me so I'd go to sleep when I didn't want to.

It was a pretty restful sleep, all things considered. I woke around nine the next day to Alex gently shaking my shoulder. She helped me to sit up and take two orange pills she'd brought before she started giving me a checkup.

"I didn't know you were a doctor," I was wincing as she helped me into a sling for my right arm.

She shrugged as she adjusted the sling "I didn't finish medical school per say but the DEO had me take enough schooling to be a field medic and to do things like this," she had me stand up "any pain in your knee?" she asked "I'm worried about the ligaments that were torn when they dislocated it, the Re-Gen repaired the damage but I don't want you using it too early."

I tested the joint and nodded "feels like normal. It's more my shoulder and chest that hurt and…and my face. I'm just stiff and sore."

Alex nodded "the bruises should fade before lunch but it'll be a little longer for you shoulder and chest to stop being sore. Healing, bones is one thing, tendons and ligaments are a whole other ballpark."

"What did Kara get herself into last night?" I asked as I slipped my ring back on and check its charge [power level: 34%]. I was going to have to recharge it as soon as I could.

Alex grimaced and leaned against the side of my bed "it would seem that Fort Rozz prisoner that Kara faced off against last night was a distraction so Astra could go after you."

"I'm so flattered," I really wasn't "strange thing is, Alex, is that The General, Astra…she just wanted to talk. Sure she smashed into me but that was all. It was Non that attacked me and commanded their forces."

Alex snorted "I've met Astra, Nadine, trust that she was up to something with that little chat. Non was probably following her orders anyways."

"How's Kara dealing with this?" I asked and frowned "do we still have to watch her fight that robot today?"

"It's an android," Alex teased and nodded "yep, we do. Also, Kara is understandably upset over the whole thing. Which, by the way, Nadine," she sighed and narrowed her eyes "next time you are attacked or about to attack please radio in. We can't help you if we don't know. I promised Kara that I would talk to you about this," Alex sighed and chuckled "to Kara, friends are family and she's lost enough family to last several lifetimes."

"She wanted you to yell at me, didn't she?" I asked and Alex nodded "she's not happy is she?" Alex shook her head "not even town a full week and I get jumped by the local miscreants. Least the idiots in Gotham waited a full month before they decided I was a threat."

***GL***

There was a couple of hours before General Lane's test (which I wasn't looking forward to because Lucy was assuredly going to be there) and Henshaw still had to debrief me about last night's events. Kara greeted me with a quick hug…it was a very gentle one and box of fresh donuts on my way to Henshaw's office, the bruises had faded but I was still sore. Kara had taken the day off of work so she could be here to fight the android.

"I can't believe Aunt Astra attacked you," Kara muttered once we were to Henshaw's office and I slipped off the ring. It hurt more but I got to enjoy the donuts more this way "why did she do it?"

"That's what I want to know." Henshaw grumbled and raised an eyebrow at me

I spoke between bites "she wanted to talk, actually….know why I was with her niece…you, apparently...and what I was doing in town," I raised an eyebrow when Henshaw produced a bottle of chocolate milk from a small refrigerator behind his desk and handed it to me.

"You need the glucose," he scoffed "Re-Gen burns up a lot of it."

I nodded and chugged the milk "thank you," I did feel better now "right so," I slipped my ring back on and called up the suit "I was walking home last night and Astra blindsided me so fast that my ring didn't have time to warn me," I grimaced at the memory "she put me into the side of car before asking those two questions. We talked and it became a free for all when Non got involved."

"Were they wearing chest pieces that glowed blue?" Henshaw asked

I thought back and shrugged "don't remember if they did or not, why?"

"Vasquez reported that the kryptonite bullets had no effect on some of the Kryptonians, we think the chest piece renders the green kryptonite inert while in close proximity," Henshaw growled as he leaned back in his chair "which means your idea to use your ring to emit kryptonite wavelengths will be useless."

"You can do that?" Kara asked with wide eyes

I shook my head "I never learned how but Hal Jordan was able to. Batman taught him and I thought it would be a good idea considering those flying baboons who ambushed me last night," and added "the bullets did effect Non, by the way."

"That's why Kal-El said that Green Lanterns couldn't be trusted." Kara mused leaning back in her chair

I frowned at her "no offense but your cousin is a huge overly sensitive a-hole. He just doesn't like the fact that there's someone out there who can stop him," I growled "I've seen what a rogue Kryptonian can do and I've seen what Lanterns can do…there are reasons there are different colors of the Corps. We have our own dark sides," I looked over at Kara "I ever go rogue you have my permission to kick my ass and knock sense into me."

Kara snorted "I'll be the first in line," she patted me softly on the shoulder while Henshaw rolled his eyes at us "you return the favor?"

I grinned at her "with pleasure, Supergirl."

***GL***

Vazquez was sporting a new energy pistol when Kara and I arrived at the testing grounds. Many of the agents were and were being eyed by the men in military fatigues who were milling about. Henshaw, Alex and most of the other agents had arrived before us. There were waiting with General Lane and Lucy. Stupid heart…stop fluttering.

General Lane smirked when he saw me "heard you had a run in with prisoners from Fort Rozz and had to be rescued. Quite the entertaining read."

"I didn't know you could read? Huh…" I blinked at him and kept walking on passed to where Alex was swallowing back her laughter and Henshaw looked displeased (like normal).

"I thought you wanted to be professional?" Kara nodded toward a fuming General Lane

I tried not to wince as I shrugged "picked up bad habits from other masked menaces and caped wonders."

"That's your story?" Major Lane asked folding her arms across her chest, one eyebrow piqued up

Nodding I asked her "well, it's such a good one why would I give it up?"

"You alright?" the Major wanted to know, eyeing my shoulder that was in a sling "the report sounded pretty bad."

I nodded "I'll be fine, honestly that wasn't the worst beating I've ever gotten," I admitted, gently rubbing at the wounded area "should be fine by day's end."

Lucy smiled at that "good, can't have a hurt Green Lantern, can we? Who'd be here to be snarky to the Generals?"

Alex snorted in amusement "I think Green Lantern could do that in her sleep."

"Major!" General Lane called loudly, glaring at me "can we get this test underway?"

"Yes, sir," Major Lane called back, frowning apologetically to us before she turned on her heel and marched after her father towards the command tent

I tried not to watch the lawyer as she marched away, listening as Alex turned to Kara and asked "you got this?"

Kara glared towards were the red android was standing and nodded "yep, I been feeling like hitting something since last night."

"How did that turn out?" I asked "I got distracted from asking earlier."

Kara smiled with tight lips and her eyes flashed dangerously, I mean really they did. Like her laser vision was sparking. Alex nodded to Kara and dragged me after the Major who was been followed by Henshaw. Found a chair in the corner that had a good view of the monitor to watch Kara's fight.

The battle was epic, I got in trouble for cheering. Alex really needs to watch herself and how hard she hits. I didn't to see the ending where Kara broke the android's arm off because I was busy with the shooting pains in my shoulder from Alex's smacking me. Made my arm go numb. I'm sure Alex would have apologized if she hadn't been scrambling out of the tent.

Did get to watch the android take off because I was a step behind Alex. Kara was just gaping at the spot on the horizon where the android had vanished too. At her feet was the severed arm. Of course the moment was broken by General Lane.

"What happened?!" he demanded loudly glaring death at Kara "Dr. Morrow?"

The man who'd built the android just sputtered "its self-preservation was triggered, last heading before it enter stealth mode was…National City."

"Can't you track it?" Alex asked

"No, that's what the stealth mode is for." Dr. Morrow answered angrily as he continued to tap at his pad

I knocked the pad away "are you really telling us that you built a killer robot and then gave yourself no way to track the thing in case something happened?" I demanded "what was the point of making that tin can then?"

"As a punching bag." Kara muttered, toeing the severed arm with her foot.

"THAT WAS A BILLON DOLLOR PIECE OF GOVERNMENT PROPERTY!" General Lane screamed at Kara.

"What did you expect to happen?" I asked getting between him and Kara "she fought the robot and it's not her fault it wasn't up for the beating. You're the one who demanded the fight, everything that has happened is on you."

"Stand down, Green Lantern!" Alex hissed

I took a calming breath and tucked my emotions back away. I let myself falling into Green Lantern mode "we need to find the android and contain it before either it or anyone else comes to harm."

We all turned towards the arm that Vasquez was picking up off the ground. It was easy to ignore the others as I went over and scanned the arm. The ring could do a metallurgy analysis and learn what powered the android which would help in a scan of the city for it. However, I would need a computer and a few satellites because flying grind patterns over the city wasn't fun. Also, the ring needed charging; I'd forgotten to do that before leaving the DEO base.

***GL***

Scanning the city was going to take hours so Alex sent me home to rest. Getting punched in the shoulder hadn't helped with my recovery time and there was nothing I could do until they located the robot. I had the feeling they weren't going to tell me anything so I called Lena.

She sounded frazzled and I almost didn't tell her why I'd called "don't back out on me, Bab," I still haven't figured out why she called me that "why'd you call."

I was laying on my couch with ice on my shoulder "because I wanted to hear your voice, know how you were doing," I answered "and I need a favor."

Lena hummed to herself, she did that when she was working on something "I'm good, Lex is off his rocker and Mother is wishing for the billionth time that the Luthors hadn't adopted me," I could hear her expiration "Lex was sentenced to 35 consecutive life sentences today, so, me starting that move to follow you to National City was a good one," she sighed heavily "seriously Metropolis is…stagnate. Now, enough about me, what about you, Bab? Make any friends? Catch any bad guys? Give me the deets!"

"Yes, mom, I have made a friend and I think you'll like Kara," I heard Lena snigger when I called her mom "she introduced me to her friends…and…umm…Lucy Lane is here and one of them?"

That made Lena chuckle darkly "the same Lucy Lane that you had a one-nighter with and she left without any sort of communication? Same one to the sister of Lois Lane?"

"Yes that one," I nodded frowning, readjusting the ice pack "and she's dating Jimmy Olsen, as it turns out. I sort of bot blindsided by that."

"That bitch!" Lena hissed "how could she go for that when I know that you rocked her world," I frowned at the phone, not wanting to know how Lena 'knew' that. Suddenly, Lena went quiet "wait…you mean Superman's biggest fanboy, Jimmy 'the photographer' Olsen?" Lena smirked "I bet you and him got on like a four alarm fire."

I frowned "something like that, yea," I grimaced as I moved the ice pack to a new spot "him dating Lucy, how's that for irony?" I really didn't like him "oh, and he's very opinionated about the Luthors too."

I could feel Lena rolling her eyes "you didn't punch him did you?"

"No, mom, I didn't," I reassured her "I left game night at Kara's house without hitting anything…until I was ambushed by a bunch of thug off-worlders that could shoot laser beams from their eyes."

"NADINE BABETTE PICKETT!" I grimaced and held the phone away from my head "why didn't you call me sooner! You know you're supposed to call me after every fight! We had a deal, Bab!"

I sighed "I was taken to the DEO," the phone was secure and Lena already knew about them and my involvement with them "where they gave me a sedative, I slept all night. This is seriously like the first time I've gotten the chance to call," I pouted "please stop using my middle name, you know I hate that!"

Lena snorted "then don't do stupid stuff that requires its usage!" she snarked in an innocent tone "now what are you doing about those off-worlder thugs, is that the favor you need?"

"Haven't given the off-worlders a thought as of yet, sort of got busy with something else and it's that something else I need the favor for," I made a tutting sound to stop Lena's protest "Lee, the off-worlders have to wait. A General Samuel Lane came to town wanting Supergirl and I to fight his robot. He's Lucy's dad."

"What is he? Twelve?" Lena scoffed

I grinned at that "that's what I said but jist of it is, Supergirl broke robot, robot has self-preservation mode, self-preservation mode dangerous and DEO won't let me help find robot. I scanned it and input the data into their computers but it is taking forever and they sent me home to rest."

"Which is good for you," Lena teased before adding knowingly "you want me to hack them and let you know because you feel they won't inform you if they find anything."

"Exactly," I nodded and paused when someone knocked on my door "hey, I got to let you go, there's someone at the door."

Lena chuckled "my little Bab, all grown up, I'll call you later."

She hung up on me as the mystery person knocked again with a light rap of knuckles. I have to say that I am certainly jealous of Kara's x-ray abilities, helps to see who is at the door when you don't have windows to peek through. To be honest, I was expecting Winn or Kara, maybe Alex. I was not expecting Lucy Lane. I felt like the air had been knocked out my lungs.

"Ugh…Lucy, what are you doing here?" I quirked an eyebrow at the woman holding a takeout bag with a taco printed on the side of the bag. She changed out of her uniform and was in a very pretty and soft looking grey sundress "how did you find me?"

Lucy sighed as she pushed passed me, shutting the door and tugging on my wrist and headed for the kitchen table "I asked Kara, must admit the girl was harder to get ahold of than my sister's boyfriend but I managed," she chuckled as she started pulling food from the bag "took some convincing but she agreed once I told her why I wanted to find you."

"Which was why?" I prompted feeling very lost and confused.

"I'm here to apologize" she admitted

I let her sit me down at the table "apologize for which part?" I asked as Lucy started rummaging through my cabinets for plates and glasses, I know this because that's what she took out "for your boyfriend or leaving without saying anything after one hell of a night. Would have been nice to…I don't know, buy you breakfast or at least say goodbye. Not that I'm a clingy person but it would have been nice."

Lucy frowned as she put several tacos on a plate and slid it my way before pouring one of the cans of soda she'd brought with her into a cup for me "I panicked," she admitted finally sitting still "I'm sorry. When Lois dragged me to the club I hadn't been looking to hook up at all but you were so…I don't know how to explain it," at least she was honest "and our night together was like nothing I've ever experienced but…" I knew there was going to be one "I'm in love with James, Nadine. I really am, and I'm sorry that whatever could have been between us won't ever get the chance to flourish," she leaned back in her chair as I processed this "but I would still like to be your friend, Nadine. I really enjoy your company and as such, I feel like I need to apologize for what James did last night. What he did was uncalled for and frankly quite rude."

"Oh," I just blinked at her, not sure how I should feel about what she'd just said. So I chose the safer of the options "you don't have to apologize for him," I assured her as I reached for the first taco, tacos are my weakness "it's already forgotten. He's not the first to take a verbal swing at Lena because of her last name and I'm pretty sure he's not going to be the last."

Lucy frowned, pretty sure she wanted to talk about us being friends "but you seemed so upset by it, I mean, you left for God's sake!"

I had to finish chewing before I could answer "I left because I made Lena a promise that I would stop punching people who called her names or whatever," I wanted to chuckle at her look of surprise "so I walk away instead. Lena was the first person after my uncle died who cared about me. Who cared if I lived or died and she became my family. She's not like the rest of her family. I trust her with my life and my lab…not so much my x-box because she likes to beat my high scores when I'm not there to stop her," I pouted at that and then shrugged, trying not to winch at the stiffness still there "look, Lucy, you really didn't have to do any of this. The apologies or the tacos, which are pretty good but still."

"I know but I really wanted to, Nadine," Lucy insisted "I needed to. Lena isn't evil, I know this, Lois has shouted it enough and Lena is important to you and that's why James had no right to go after her like that, especially after you told us about her," she persisted "you were there by Kara's invite. He shouldn't have attacked you."

"And I probably shouldn't have called his idol what I did." I admitted

Lucy snorted as she finally started in on her food "no, please, keep calling Superman that, he really is a douche. James is too overly obsessed with the heroic Kryptonians," she frowned at that admission.

"You must really love him if you came to National City for him," I mused as I pushed down the emotions that were starting to get overwhelming. My wanting her and the pain that came from rejection "is that what you came to the city for? You don't have to answer that if you don't want to."

Lucy tilted her head at me curiously, like she'd just watched the emotions drain from my eyes "I actually came to the city for work," she admitted softly "I'm a lawyer with JAG, the…"

"Judge Advocate General," I nodded and grinned "I used to watch the show all the time, I wanted to be a fighter pilot when I was little because of Harm. You are a military lawyer. How'd that happen? What made little Lucy Lane want to be a big bad lawyer?"

"Military family, got into West Point out of high school, graduated with a commission and went on to Harvard," she shrugged picking at the fallen guts of a taco "wanted to bring justice and change without having to do it at the end of a barrel."

"That's probably the most amiable thing I've ever heard that didn't have a load of arrogance attached," I smiled at her at her raised eyebrow "Lucy, I studied with literal geniuses, they had a lot of aspirations to change the world but with a shit-ton of ego to get in the way."

Lucy nodded at that in understanding "why aren't you in a lab somewhere if you were smart enough to study with geniuses?"

"Social issues," I shrugged not liking to talk it "most labs already have geniuses with social issues so they don't exactly cater to those with crippling social issues. There are plenty of other geniuses out there. Being friends with Lena Luthor and the COO of Wayne Enterprises has some advantages. Freelance work pays the bills."

It was fun to talk with Lucy until lunch was over and she had to go. Talking with Lucy was way different from when I just sat talked with Kara, it was strange. There was a warmth and a different feel to it than anyone else I'd ever talked with. I really wanted to know what made Lucy freaking Lane so much different than everyone else and how she could get me to feel things that I didn't want to. I just shrugged it off and started cleaning up the mess that we made over lunch.

***GL***

I tried working in the lab but I couldn't focus. Lucy's visit wouldn't stop replaying in my head. When working in the lab was a bust, I decided I needed to burn off lunch. I was really out of shape as pushups were enough to wind me, probably more because my shoulder still ached.

My phone ringing next to my head brought me out of my self-inflicted pain. Lena had hacked the DEO hours ago, right after I'd called her, and she was appalled by how out of date they security measures were. It was going to take them forever to scan for the robot so Lena took it upon herself to use LuthorCorp satellites to scan the city. She'd found the robot as it had recently become active and was tracking it heading for the business district.

Finally, something to do! I thanked Lena before I hung up on her and headed for the balcony. It had gotten dark outside. I noted this before I shot into the sky, pretty sure I was a green streak through the sky.

The business district was shinny even at night with most of the buildings dark for the night. As it happened, business moved from the upper floors of the skyscrapers to the restaurants below. Somehow I wasn't surprised to find the android targeting General Lane. I'd arrived just in time to catch Lucy after the android sent her flying through the air, my heart nearly froze at the sight of her flying through the air. I stopped her from wiping out an outdoor patio set.

"Lantern!" she was very surprised to me in my arms, I could feel her tilting her head at me, suddenly, questioningly.

"Major," I nodded to her as I set her down, she finally looked away from my neck "you look nice, by the way and you should probably run."

Lucy nodded and quickly looked around as James came running over, fiddling with his watch "my dad!"

"I've got him and there's Supergirl, go!" I shoved her towards James before catching a car that was thrown at us. There were a lot of little bits that weren't attached to the car. Hope I caught them all.

I used big green hands to catch the car, turn it right side up and sit it gently down before jumping into the air and flying towards the android. It was trying to attack Supergirl while she was trying to protect the people who'd failed to vacate the street.

The robot stumbled when it was hit with a giant, nail studded baseball bat. I was swinging for the bleachers and it was enough to stop the attack as the red android went rolling backwards down the street. Supergirl nodded gratefully to me as I put myself between her, the people she was protecting and the recovering android.

I frowned at it stood. The thing had both of its arms which was weird because it was one arm short the last time I'd seen it. Not that I really got time to muse over this because the android had picked himself back up and started shooting missiles at me.

The first one was caught on a green wall but I missed the second one. It exploded just in front of me and tossed me up into the air. I didn't go very far as I'd wrapped myself into a green cocoon to protect myself. It was a distraction.

A third missile hit me just seconds before the android crashed into me. The force of which sent me crashing back into the ground near where General Lane was taking cover with Lucy and James. I broke the concrete planter and swore I heard Lucy protest at James holding her back.

I shook my head to clear and grunted as I slowly got to my feet, stumbling as I did so. This was starting to piss me off. Wiped blood from my lip, and tenderly touched at the back of my head. I wiped the red blood off my white gloves onto my pants before I headed back to the street where Supergirl was now dealing with a freaking tornado heading towards the center of town.

The android was trying to flee but I caught it with a rope around its foot and jerked it backwards. Thunder sounded when the android was smacked with a giant green fist that grabbed it after hitting it and drove it into a waiting green brick wall. I would have continued the attack but I was hit from behind that put me face first to the ground, dropping me from ten feet up.

I got hit with a car door that'd come flying out of the tornado. My ring had warned me but I hadn't heard it. I rolled over in time to see the android disappear over the tops of the buildings. It was now that the DEO was arriving. They were there to whisk General Lane and Lucy off to the base while Supergirl flew James home. Alex was the one to pick me up off the ground and hand me over to Vasquez

"Lantern, you're bleeding," Vasquez pointed to my neck where blood was trickling down as she got me into the helicopter with Lucy and the General "here," I noticed that Lucy was shivering and managed to give her my jacket before Vasquez was putting a bandage to my head "keep it there or Dr. Collier is going to have my head."

Lucy reached out and touched my bouncing knee, I was trying to ignore the burn of the bandage "are you alright?" she asked

I shrugged, oh…that was hurting again "will be, you look pale, though Major," I frowned at her "there's a candy bar in the pocket of the jacket. The sugar will help with the feeling of shock."

Lucy snorted back her amusement as she did, in fact, pull a candy bar from the jacket. She was unwrapping it as her father asked "why do you carry a candy bar?"

"Sometimes I give them to kids who are in shock or scared. Chocolate is never evil, General Lane," I told him, I only answered because he hadn't been gruff when asking "but mostly because wearing the ring makes it easy to forget to eat because it's not required. Having snacks ever so often will keep blood sugar from dropping when the ring comes off. There's a granola bar somewhere in there if you want it too."

***GL***

There was a lot about that fight that was troubling me. I was brooding over it while a medic was taking care of the cut on my head. They wanted me to drop my mask to check for a concussion when Lucy was escorted in to the med-bay by Alex and Supergirl with General Lane not too far behind. So losing the mask was a big ole NOPE!

"General, is the android self-healing?" I asked as the medic left, frustrated with me and went to fuss over Lucy. Leaving Alex to determine if I needed stitches or whatever "any self-repairing functions?"

He growled at me, happy helicopter ride over "that's what you're worried about? You and Blondie let it get away!"

I had to resist the urged to throw the man against the wall. I took a calming breath and tuned out as the man started to berate me for failing to capture his robot. To be honest I wasn't actually listening to him, I was going over the fight again in my head.

"HEY!" General Lane screamed as I rushed out of the med-bay "I'M TALKING TO YOU!"

Of course I kept going until was at the command center where Vasquez had settled back into her spot. She jumped a little when I knelt down beside her and asked if there was any camera footage of the fight. There was from multiple angles, including a traffic camera.

"Stop this one," I pointed to the top left screen "could you replay it?" it was to the point of the fight where the android had physically attacked me after using missiles to distract me "that right there, that's not possible if the robot is acting under a self-perseveration mode."

Vasquez frowned "it shouldn't have attacked at all then," she pointed out "it should have stayed hidden and not come out at all."

Kara and the others from the med-bay had joined us by now "what are you two getting at?" Lucy asked as Henshaw came to stand at Vasquez's other shoulder

"I don't think this robot is acting by itself," I pointed to the screen "first, it replaced its arm and then it attacked instead of keeping its distance."

Vasquez added in "and if it was acting in self-preservation mode, then it shouldn't have attacked at all. If this was part of that mode then it should have gone after Supergirl as she was the one to fight and damage it. She should have been the threat."

"Are you saying that someone directed it to go after General Lane?" Alex asked

I shrugged, ignoring my building headache and sore shoulder "considering his personality is it out of the realm of possibility that someone would want to take him out?"

"Rude," Lucy snorted before nodding "but a good point," she looked to her father "you do have a tendency to make more enemies than friends. Considering what they said, I would say that it was Dr. Morrow. Who else could have fixed the arm and you did fire him?"

General Lane just snorted "he wasted ten years and a billion dollars on a project to protect this planet from aliens like them," he nodded towards Kara and me "I should have had him put the brig."

"For your info, I am human," I glared at him, not backing down "born and raised on this planet and Supergirl has done nothing but protect this planet and its inhabitants since she put on that cape."

"And what happens if she goes rogue?" General Lane demanded, I knew he had a point but I didn't care anymore.

"What about the African warlords?" I demanded right back at him "the ones who use children as cannon fodder, putting machine guns in their hands and sending them out to kill and die instead of pencils and sending them to school? What about the genocides that took place in Yugoslavia when it was Yugoslavia?" I got into his face "what about how women are tortured and demeaned in the Middle East simply because they were born without that little worm you men are so proud of?" I snarled at him "what about the drug cartels in South America who get people strung out on toxins just to make money. Ruin their lives and their bodies. If humans are the divinity of the universe then why are our prisons over filled and underfunded? The human race is a danger to itself, General and I don't see you campaigning against them."

"You are worse than any alien, Lantern," he snarled back "you are human and you choose to be affiliated with them. You wear their colors and their crest, you force their laws upon Earth. You are worse than the Kryptonians."

"Earth has always been under Guardian Laws, we've just advanced enough to start breaking them," I countered and drew breath to continue when Henshaw stepped in.

"ENOUGH!" Henshaw yanked me backwards away from the General "go home, Lantern, that's an order!"

I turned on my heel and walked away. This had already been one long ass day and I wanted to sleep the rest of it away. Kara made sure I got home safely and made sure I took the pills that Alex had given her for me. I took off the ring and let sleep take me, not realizing that I'd never gotten my jacket back from Lucy.


	3. Chapter 3

**...and another one...whoo!**

Chapter Three: Lanterns in Space

I woke to Jenifer-Lynn Hayden (she just goes by Jenifer), the Green Lantern from Central City shaking my shoulder. We were being called off world and Jenifer was being asked to get me because I wasn't responding to a call through the ring. I took a shower and ate before we left, needed to make sure that I'd gotten all the dried blood off my neck, and breakfast was to replace the nutrients that the Re-Gen pills had used to work while I was sleep and only a scar.

I called Lena before I left the atmosphere to let her know that I might be gone for a while. She could tell there was something wrong with me and that we would be discussing it when I return. There was no way she was letting me out of it. Also, she was going to be crashing at my place because she had business in National City; she'd just expected me to be there.

Rayner's ship was sleek and green with gold and white trim. I think he'd gotten it from a drug bust he'd helped with in a sector on the far side of the galaxy. Reading and understanding the computer wasn't too hard, ring translates everything a Lantern sees and hears into a language they can understand.

We phased through the hull at the airlock, meaning that we used the ring to vibrate our molecules so we can pass through solid objects. There are no words to describe how much I hate doing that; it's the fear of melding with something that's not naturally a part of me. We got to the ship onto the bridge and realized that we weren't the only Rayner had called.

Rayner gave me a smirk when my eyes snapped over his guests. He'd gathered Magaan Van'n Intraktus and the former bounty hunter Hammeroon. Magaan and Hammeroon were from other sectors. Rayner waved us over towards a small table that was projecting a holographic image of a…space station, I want to say.

"You call Lena?" Rayner asked knowingly

I nodded "she's crashing at my new place for a while, she says hi by the way," I added as I came to stand beside him

He smirked "no add-ons like if I let you get hurt she's going to skin me alive?"

"I didn't want to repeat them," I admitted as I shrugged "now why are we here? I was dealing with sneaky Kryptonians and one very nasty robot."

"Lest you don't have to deal with Dr. Wells's fallout from that particle accelerator," Jenifer teased with a scoff "I'm pretty sure he created a whole new subspecies of humans, meta-humans."

I wondered why that hadn't been in the news "are you still working with S.T.A.R. labs? That one…Dr. Snow? And the other one…the one who nerded out with Lena?"

"Cisco Ramone, yes," Jenifer grinned as she nodded "I believe he and Lena still do battle over online video games. Also, Dr. Snow is now Dr. Hayden…or will be once we say the 'I do's' which you are totally invited to by the way."

I wanted to respond but Rayner cleared his throat and made the model holographic bigger and had the picture of fury faced humanoid man "now that we're all here, thanks to the hard work of Magaan and Hammeroon in conjunction with the Darkstars, we know that Kalibak, son of Darkseid, is trying to attempt a military coup on his father's throne," he let out a long breath "he's funding this by raiding in Sectors 2814 and 2819. We know that he's at this space station near the edge of a methane nebula in the Alic system. Kalibak is planning an auction of his stolen goods and figure the proceeds are going to fund his war chest," Rayner shrunk the station back down "we've tasked by the Guardians to continue working with the Darkstars to make this auction our playground what with all the known criminals that'll be attending."

I raised an eyebrow at him "criminals is plural, plural means more than one which means that there's going to be a lot of them. You want to pull this plan off with five Lanterns?"

Magaan smirked condescendingly at me "scared little girl?" he asked

"No," I stated evenly "but the only criminal we know is going to be there is Kalibak. He's got some pretty nasty friends last time I checked. This feels like something we're walking blindly into."

"Valid concern, but don't worry about it, luv," Hammeroon winked at me from a across the table "we'll do a recon before the sale starts. Hammeroon wouldn't let a fellow ass-kicker such as yourself walk into unknown danger."

"Thank you, Hammeroon," I nodded to him, you know for him being a former bounty hunter and complete ass to male lanterns he was always a totally gentlemen to us female lanterns. Never sexist nor pushing unwanted advances "you wouldn't by chance know what he might be selling do you? Weapons or power cores, anything that goes boom if shot?"

Hammeroon shook his head "nah, more like tech from what we saw in our scans. There were some things with one of your earth flags on it and a whole module that had a 'LexCorp' branding on it."

I understood now "that's why I was picked for this?"

Rayner nodded "of everyone in the Corps you have the most experience with Luthor's tech."

"You just want that skeleton key that Lena programed for me," I retorted, it was an actual skeleton key shaped device that currently resided in my utility belt "jealous that it can decrypt almost any earth base computer program?"

"Yes," Rayner nodded emphatically "I'm sure that we can tweak it and get into any computer."

I nodded "and that's why Lena won't give it to you," I grinned at him "as Lena likes to quote 'power corrupts, absolute power absolutely corrupts'. I think she just wants to keep her inventions from doing harm like her brother's do."

Rayner pouted "still, do you know how much easier it would make our jobs sometimes?"

"I am and that's why I take it as seriously as Lena does, the path of the Green Lantern is not the easy one." I countered.

Hammeroon clapped his hands "preach, sister, preach! Green Lanterns have to work to be badass or the badass-ness is fake and I don't do fake shit!"

***GL***

Rayner let Jenifer and I go back to our apartments real quick to pack for the trip. Just a few changes of clothes, sleeping bags, entertainment for the trip and anything else we wanted to bring with us. Also to let our respective work places know that we were going to be out of town for a longer than we thought.

Jenifer called in a favor to one of Batman's clan, the new Batgirl I think to cover Central City for her. I didn't know who was behind the mask for her, she'd just recently popped up and Bruce must have felt that the girl needed the experience. I'd worked with Batman before and found out who he was by accident, I'd come to the batcave for advice on a case when he didn't have his cowl up. We agreed to keep each other's secret.

With my duffle bag over my shoulder I landed at the DEO and headed for the command center. It was pretty early in the morning now and I wasn't sure who was going to be on shift. I could only hope that Alex and Vasquez had gone home hours ago.

"Lantern!" I frowned when I turned to see Lucy hurrying in from the entrance, stack of folders in her arms and in full military dress. I waited for her "how are you feeling and where did you get the new coat? I thought I had it?" Lucy was juggling the folders before I took half of them from her so they were more manageable for her "thanks."

"No problem, and the ring just created another one, no worries," I stepped aside so she could continue on, I stepped into pace beside her "and I'm feeling better. My head isn't ringing like a church bell on Sunday. Most assuredly a plus."

"Then what are you doing here so early?" Lucy wanted to know, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

I sighed "I've been called off world to deal with an extremely dangerous criminal who may have gotten his hands on some dangerous LuthorCorp tech and we think he's going to sell it," Lucy halted in the middle of the hallway and started at me "why are you looking at me like that?"

Lucy blinked a couple of times before saying "it's just that the robot is still out there and I would have thought that you would have wanted to finish that," she frowned "plus that sounds really dangerous. You were just hurt not too long ago."

I shrugged "Supergirl, I think, is very capable of handling the android by herself. I actually didn't help that much," I admitted "just gotten myself beat up…again. I really need to start working out again."

Lucy snorted, looking me up and down "of course you do," she started walking again "you know, I think you're right about Supergirl. I think she'd appreciate your concern but I think she'd want to finish this one on her own…also, you do realize that I'm supposed to be on the side rooting for the robot, technically."

"Tell me, Counselor, to you still maintain that position after it tried to kill you?" I teased

Lucy rolled her eyes as we turned down the last hallway leading to the command center "it also tried to kill my father, too."

"I was rooting for the robot then too, technically," I grinned when she gently smacked my arm.

"Rude!" she chided, trying not to chuckle, and smacked at me "all the same thank you for saving him. He can be an ass but he is the only father I have."

Shrugging, I nodded "it's what I do, Miss Lane."

I helped Lucy get her folders to Henshaw's office and of course the man was in. Lucy let me go first before she started slinging legal folders at him. I think most of them had to do with breaking military property or something. The door shut pretty quickly behind me so I didn't hear too much of it.

Before leaving the DEO, I sent a quick text to Kara to let her know where I was going and that if anyone asked about Nadine then she'd had an emergency in Gotham to take care of. I figured it'd be easier for Kara to tell my lie than one of her own. Granted she was great at convincing people that she was human but it was the little lies that got her into trouble.

***GL***

Hammeroon hugged me and kissed me on the cheek when I returned because I'd brought him the one thing he loved most about Earth…chocolate. It didn't matter if it was cookies, candies, pastries, pies or milk, he absolutely loved the stuff. I think he'd give up being a Green Lantern if he was allowed to consume chocolate every day for the rest of his life.

Rayner had assigned us bunks where we could stash our things and sleep if we wanted. It was going to take a several days to get where we were going by ship, even at hyper-speed. I settled into my bunk with my tablet filled with movies and TV shows and pulled the curtain closed.

I really should have expected it but Jenifer joined me not to long after I started watching my show. At least she shared her chips with me. It was always hard getting used to being on ship and traveling faster than light, it was a strange vibration that messed with us Green Lanterns.

"So," Jenifer asked between episodes, reaching out to pause the countdown "what's going on with you at National City, Nadine?" she frowned and nudged me "what's going on little Lantern?"

"I don't like change," I couldn't look at her and admit it at the same time "it's been to gain my bearings. Between Supergirl being super-nice and basically adopting me, not having Harley stomp through the apartment, not hearing the familiar sounds of Gotham outside my window at night and a really confusing Lucy Lane…I've gotten my ass kicked twice now and dealing with General Lane is started to disrupt my Green Lantern calm."

Jenifer smiled and drew me into her side "one, it's alright to be adopted by Supergirl. I'm pretty sure that anyone who saves kittens from trees is pretty freaking awesome and overly sweet," she was kinda right about that one "not having Harley around is going to be a change but maybe in the end the move to National City will be good for you. Now, tell me more about this Lucy Lane," she grinned "has my baby gay gotten a girl crush?"

I sighed heavily, Jenifer wasn't going to leave me alone till I told her the truth "I…spelt with her while in Metropolis just before moving to National City. It was a life changing night."

Jenifer frowned "then why don't you sound happy about that and why is she confusing?"

"Because she's dating someone else and didn't realize that I was friends with his friends," I watched Jenifer's eyes grown wider and wider "she told me she's in love with him and that's that. She wanted to be my friend so I buried what I was feeling."

"Oh, sweetie," Jenifer wrapped her arms around my shoulders "your life really needs to be a tv show so I can watch it and throw popcorn at the screen like Catlin loves to do."

That made me laugh as we settled into to watch the almost forgotten tablet.

***GL***

Jenifer was very convinced that I needed to delve into my feelings to work them out instead of avoid. So, instead I avoided her the rest of the trip to the Alic System. I stayed in the cargo hold practicing with Hammeroon. We did rapid fire construct construction, energy blasts force fields and physically working out. I felt so very out of practice and this was probably why I got my ass kicked recently. This is what I really needed to feel better.

I'd gotten lax recently on my training. I was going to have to get back into practicing and working out. That thought worried me, I was going to have to buy a gym. Or buy a small building and create my own work space/gym thingy. I've never had to do that before…I didn't like it. Maybe I would just take up jogging instead and see if the DEO had a gym.

We arrived at the rendezvous point with the Darkstars twelve days after we'd left earth. Which was nice because Hammeroon was going stir crazy and taking it out on Jenifer as well as myself. I mean he was correcting the bad habits that we'd gotten into, nice to know I wasn't the only one.

Like depending upon the ring to know what was going on around us during a fight instead of actively scanning for danger. Arrogance is a horrible trait for a Green Lantern and so is laziness. Hammeroon didn't chide us for these things but worked with me to correct it and to use it as a lesson.

The only one to complain about what Hammeroon was doing was Magaan. He felt that not only should women not be allowed to be lanterns; but that if protecting Earth was instilling such bad habits because it wasn't difficult work then maybe Earth shouldn't be protected because it didn't need it. Magaan thought that the universe at large had more problems than one little, insignificant backwater world.

So getting off the ship and away from Magaan's ranting was nice. Even Rayner looked done with the man and he was the one who recruited him. Bet he was regretting taking away the ring's right to choose it's barer when he first helped reboot the Corps. A right, by the way, that was quickly returned.

The Darkstars were off shoots of the Green Lantern Corps (basically) and wore 'powersuits' instead of rings. A lot of former lanterns actually joined them after the Corps fell. They worked for an organization called NEMO or Network for the Establishment and Maintenance of Order. The suits were red with white arms and chrome pauldrons and the Darkstar emblem emblazed on their chest. They were capable of flight, fire energy bolts from their hands and pretty much lived to give Darkseid a headache.

They'd come in force, about ten of them, and were grateful for the Green Lantern's wiliness to help. Also, none of them wanted anything to do with Lex's tech as word of Superboy-Prime had pretty spread across the galaxy. No one wanted to deal with Lex's particular brand of deranged crazy. Which, once again, reiterates why I was whisked away after just arriving in National City.

***GL***

The Darkstars had a plan and it was a good one. First we split into five groups of three, one lantern per group. A scan of the station showed that human tech was near the observation deck, where they thought the main bit of the auction was taking place. My team would be breaching the station at the airlock closest to the bridge.

Goal was to capture as many criminals without dying as possible. Instead of shackles or conventional means confinement, the Darkstars had these little cubes that released cables of energy that not even Superman, himself, could break out of. Just active by the push of a little button and toss at the delinquent's feet and they were netted.

We hid the ship in the shadow of a nearby gas giant and we flew our group in green blobs to the station once the ships started to arrive, of course we were invisible. Green Lanterns are able to refract light and various waves to render ourselves invisible. Useful trick when one remembers they can do that. So we stayed hidden, waiting for Rayner's signal.

When it came, I phased through airlock doors so I could open them for the Darkstars. Once we were inside, we moved quickly and quietly as possible towards the observation deck leaving a string of wiggling bodies behind wrapped in red glowing cables on the floor. We arrived at the observation deck to see it was already in complete chaos, Magaan's group had arrived before us. There were explosions, small fires consuming boxes and gunfire being exchanged (except our gun fire was really energy fire)

I held the Darkstars back, they looked questioningly at me before I pointed towards the unprotected cages across the room. Kalibak was holding people to sell as slaves, well…that just a guess but why else put them in a cage. There was even a little girl in there, couldn't have been no older than three or four.

"We have to protect them," the male Darkstar (I didn't know any of their names) agreed "you put a shield around him and we'll do the fighting?"

"I'll cover you as well," I nodded before enveloping them and myself in a large bubble and flew across the room.

There were several pings off my shield before we landed and I put up a shield to cover the cages while letting the Darkstars out. I had to smother several fires before I took up position so I could cover both the cages and the Darkstars. I'll be honest it is very cathartic to shoot bad guys in the ass with green energy arrows that zap the victim and placing the cubes to let the bad guys get surprised with a sudden netting.

***GL***

In the end the fight wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. Kalibak wasn't even there and neither was anyone important from any crime syndicate. They were all proxies communicating with their bosses through sub-space channels. That was annoying, I'd gotten myself psyched out for nothing.

Real trouble was dealing with three of the prisoners we'd set free. I wanted to zip back to earth as fast as I could and throw Lex Luthor into space without a spacesuit. I got so much lovely info from the database that I downloaded onto an external hard drive from a module of a Luthor moon base. Well, a proposed moon base that'd 'blown up' not a month after completion and Lex blamed Superman.

Turns out that it wasn't for a moon base but was part of a ship that Lex had built so he could conduct experiments off-planet and be out of anyone's jurisdiction. This module was a 2.0 lab for cloning research. The reason that I was extra upset was because Lex had used Lena's DNA and another mystery woman's to create the little girl that the Soviet Cosmonaut Anya Savenlovich (she disappeared in the sixties attempted a mission to Mars in cryostasis) was holding.

Also, Lex had created another clone of Superman but with a third party alien DNA that gave this guy blue skin and white horns at his temple. I was quick to check them out but Subject-29 (Blue-Superman) didn't have any of Kal-El's powers. Meaning that he was probably never exposed to Earth's yellow sun.

The little girl, the one who whispered to Anya that her name was Alexis, was scared of my mask and smiled when I dropped it. She warmed up to me when I presented her with a candy bar I always kept in my jacket. Of course I checked her for a peanut allergy beforehand, quick and invasive scan with my ring. She looked so much like Lena that it was heart wrenching. Alexis had Lena's smile and her eyes were the same shade of green.

"You know her mother?" Anya asked, the ring translating her Russian for me

I nodded "I do, I actually consider her family," I smiled at Alexis "which means you are my family, little one," she smiled at me with bulging cheeks and a chocolate drooling down her chin "Anya, how long have you been awake?" I asked looking back up at the Russian woman with red hair.

She frowned "by my rough count, three years?" she shrugged "I was found by aliens with spindly arms and fingers. They were colored purple and they were nice people who were interested in getting me home…even if home has fifty years into the future. We were attacked on the way to earth, that was two and half years ago."

I nodded in understanding "I know the species, Lam'cooes. They are peaceful and helpful until threatened. Where you here for Alexis and Subject-29's arrival?"

Anya nodded "they were brought here a year ago and awakened a few months ago? Kalibak has been planning this for some time, putting together his resources. The module had a few scientists that told Kalibak that Alexis and 29 were hybrid clones of Earth's mightiest heroes. I have heard of Wonder Woman but not this Superman that got Kalibak all excited."

I blinked and looked to Alexis. I've only ever met Diana Prince twice when she came to Gotham to help Batman with a problem. It was now that I looked closer that I could see the subtle similarities to her in Alexis. Diana was going to murder Lex in the worst way possible for this.

Sighing and making sure that sure that I'd gotten everything from Lex's database before saying "we should get you three to our ship which Rayner has gone to retrieve. We will get you back to earth."

"What about Alexis and 29?" Anya demanded

"I'm taking you three to Lena," I confessed "I also have some friends in the government that can help…" I paused and frowned, tilting my head to the side, Jenifer was calling me through the ring (yay, telepathic link that gives me a headache every time)

GET TO THE CARGO BAY ON DECK TEN NOW! Jenifer's voice was frantic

"Do you know the way to the docking ring?" I asked Anya

29 answered "I do," his voice was gravely and echoed.

"Take Anya and the little one there," I stood and handed the external hard drive to Anya, putting it in her free hand; Alexis was sitting on her hip "this needs to go to Rayner, he's the Green Lantern that aboard ship. Do not look back no matter what you hear, do you understand?"

"Yes," Anya nodded before pushing at 29 to exit the hold we were in, not asking why I was sending them away like I was "move along."

Anya looked back in time to see me phase through the bulkhead. I saw her gulp as I dropped through the floor and I didn't stop until I was on deck ten. The station rocked as an explosion went off just ahead of me and a strange fear tore at my heart.

I didn't bother with running but flew down the hall until I reached the cargo bay. There were sounds of fighting coming from the cargo bay and I had to wonder what the hell they'd found down here. I thought all criminals had been accounted for.

Just a few feet from the cargo bay door I was knocked back by a yellow explosion of light that sent Hammeroon flying through the door. He hit the opposing wall with a sickening crunch but I could only gape at the pipe sticking out of his chest. It made a sucking sound every time he tried to breathe and he was already covered in blood and cuts.

"Hammeroon, what happened?" I asked trying to get him into a better position.

He smiled and stopped me "no use, luv, Magaan's already killed me."

"What?" I don't think I heard him right.

Hammeroon lulled his head back "he found a yellow ring, luv, yellow lantern. Gave up our Corp for the Yellows," he held up his hand and we watched his ring slid off his finger and vanish in a flash of green light. He groaned "don't give up, luv. Be brave 'cause that's what Greens are. We're brave. Did you tell me once that 'bravery ain't the absent of fear but the will to overcome it'?"

I couldn't speak around the lump in my throat and I pushed my forehead against his. There was so much hate for myself because I felt detached for the pain as the light in his eyes dimmed. I wanted to feel him passing, I wanted to feel the pain of his loss. Hammeroon had been one of my favorite Lanterns, right up there with Mogo and Kilowog. I wanted to rage against his murderer but all I felt was searing cold.

When I felt his last breath on my cheek, I stood and marched into the cargo bay with one purpose in mind. I couldn't rage but I was going to make Magaan pay. Honestly, I think I would have taken the rage instead of the cold detachment. The rage felt safer.

Jenifer and the Darkstars were battling Magaan who now wore a yellow outfit and was using yellow energy constructs. The symbol on his chest was for the Sinestro Corps, the yellow lanterns who wielded fear instead of willpower.

The cargo bay was in disarray. Containers were either destroyed or pushed back against the walls. Some of the Darkstars had already down and buried amongst the debris. Magaan stood at the far end of the bay. He looked far too arrogant for my liking.

Hammeroon always told me to fight smarter, not harder. Actually, he said that about a lot of things. I knew that the Greens could beat the Yellows but we had to master our fear of them to be immune to the yellow light. Magaan had been a powerful Green Lantern which was why he was so much more powerful as a yellow. He had the willpower to inflict fear but in my current state…I didn't feel fear.

I needed to hit Magaan quickly and repeatedly so that he couldn't mount offense or defense. So, I used the debris he'd amassed against him with energy blasts in between. It worked for a bit and we almost had him cornered with Jenifer and the remaining Darkstars helping. Magaan, no matter how powerful couldn't stand up to the barrage, and he was reduced to hiding behind a cracking shield.

We were so close when somonee came to his fucking aid. Another Yellow Lantern appeared using a yellow energy blast to throw everyone backwards, slamming me back into the wall behind me. Drove the air right from me. It hurt and dazed me at the same time.

When I was able to get back up if found that we'd all been knocked down. The ones of us able to get up were greeted with the sight of another Yellow Lantern, she looked like she was from Starkhaven and had Magaan all tied up in yellow light. At some point Rayner had joined the fight but was now bound up in one of the red energy shackles.

"Sorry for not coming sooner," the Yellow Lantern winked at me as I tried to get back to my feet "but the boss this one, not often that a Green willingly gives up their ring and joins our side of the spectrum. This one," she slapped Magaan across the face, she hit him pretty hard too "is coming with me, there a problem with that?"

Jenifer nodded as she frowned "he murdered Hammeroon!" she countered, on her feet and preparing for another fight "he needs to be taken to Oa for trail!"

"Wishful thinking, Greenie," the Yellow Lantern smirked "catch me later!"

She moved so fast, dragging Magaan after her and phased through the bulkhead. I followed but by the time that I'd gone through the bulkhead after her, the Yellow had jumped through a portal. She was gone and Magaan with her.

Jenifer was there a second later and swore when she couldn't find the Yellow Lantern. She shook her head and then pointed back inside. The Darkstars were still hurt and needed help and there was Hammeroon's body to recover. Also Rayner was still tied up, he'd come in at some point and got caught up in a Darkstar net.

***GL***

Two Darkstars had died when their suits were compromised and the only thing left of them was a scorch mark on the station's bulkhead. Jenifer took the remaining Darkstars and Subject-29 and Anya to Oa; Hammeroon's ring had chosen 29 and Magaan's had chosen Anya to be their next bearers. The blue skinned giant just shrugged while the Russian frowned deeply. Subject-29 went willingly after Jenifer and Rayner explained what happened. He didn't put up a fuss. Anya refused and gave up the ring; she wanted to go home to Earth.

Anya was happy to be aboard ship with us. It had been the first time since leaving earth that she'd gotten a real shower and real food. Jenifer loaned her some clothes as mine weren't big enough to fit her, especially in the chest area. However, my shirt was a dress that swamped little Alexis; who dearly loved it and watching cartoons with me. Anya was fascinated by my tablet and Alexis loved Scooby Doo; she'd mumble along with the theme song.

Though Alexis was very smart, she hadn't started talking yet but she was trying. She understood everything that was said and could respond by pointing. The little girl had no trouble eating and had a very healthy appetite that could have matched Kara. It was a good thing the trip back to earth wasn't longer than it was or we would have run out of supplies.

I got in touch with Lena the second that the ship was in range of Earth. Caught her with a video chat. Telling my best friend/sister that her brother used her and Wonder Woman's DNA to create a child was probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do. Especially as I wanted the emotions of revulsion, betrayal, hurt, confusion, anger and confusion again pass over her face. Rayner had agreed that Lena should have the ultimate decision over what happened to Alexis.

"When are you going to be back on Earth?" Lena asked, she was biting at her lip and her green eyes were unfocused

"In five days," I shrugged "look, Lena, as far as I could tell without running any invasive tests on her, Lex and his cronies never got the chance to do much more than make her and speed grow her to the age of four years. She was still in the maturation chamber when Lex disembarked from the ship and went back to earth. It was after that that the ship was captured," I explained "it would be easy to pass her off as a secret child and you know that we'd go above and beyond hell to protect her."

Lena nodded and looked back up at me "are you going to tell Wonder Woman?"

I leaned back in my chair, running my hands through my hair and nodded "yes, she needs to know. I'll have to get a hold of her through Batman because she's on her home island at the moment," I could see a flash of worry in her eyes "she won't steal her away, Lee. Wonder Woman is many things and dishonorable isn't one of them. Besides it's going to take a while to get the message to her."

Lena nodded and looked around the room she was in "how can I take care of her and keep her safe?" she asked "Lex is stuck in some deep, dark hole for the rest his life. Lillian is somewhere probably continuing his work. People hate me for my name, Bab, how can I put that baggage on a little, innocent child?"

"It's not baggage unless you make it baggage," I told her "Lena, I had no idea who you were when I became your roommate. Probably why I was, indeed, your roommate. I felt that no one would ever love me after what had happened. You saved me, Lena, I was so close to ending my life when you chose me to be family because you thought I looked as lost as you felt. I am here today because of you, Lena Luthor."

Lena wiped at her tears "I hate when you bring that…incident up, Bab," she held her head in her hands and sighed heavily before looking back up at me "you know that I'm going to need your help, right?"

I smiled at her "you are family, I'll always be there when you ask it."

Lena smiled and nodded before looking over her shoulder towards the knocking on her door "I'll let you go, I have some thinking and things to do. Call me when your planet-side."

She didn't say goodbye before she ended the connection. I sat back and stared at the blank screen. Not feeling like leaving the communication's room just yet, I dialed up the DEO. I grinned when I scared the crap out of Vasquez and Alex when my call opened up on the screen in front of them. Both women looked upset and not just because I'd spooked them.

"What happened?" I asked frowned "what'd I miss?"

Alex snorted "you mean besides Supergirl blowing her powers out, an earth quake and a psychotic alien lose in the DEO, Supergirl getting her powers back and catching Astra and Non caught Hank…I'm acting Director now."

I just blinked at her "wow…and I thought my time away was crazy."

Vazquez narrowed her eyes at me "what did you do?"

I sighed heavily "busted up an illegal auction, found a Soviet Cosmonaut from 1964, another one of Superman's clones…this one was blue with horns, a Green Lantern died and we ran into Yellow Lanterns," I stopped to breathe "got ahold of a complete database on Lex's experiments," I paused "actually, pretty much a standard mission with expectations. Blue Superman and Yellow Lanterns are new."

"How many clones did Luthor make?" Alex growled with clenched fists

"At least 29 because Blue Superman was tagged as Subject-29, there was something else I found but I'd rather talk about that when I get back," after Lena approved it of course "I was wondering you lot could maybe help the Russian out, she's sort fifty or so years out of date."

Alex tilted her head to the side "you want us to make her a new identity?"

I nodded "I mean we could just return her like is but she hasn't really aged a day and I can just image the questions that certain people are going to ask her," I pointed out "just need name, social and paper trail, everything else can come later."

Alex nodded before leaning in close to the screen to whisper "hey, just a head's up, Lucy Lane has been asking around about you, you, the real you. She's left the military and is working for CatCo now. It would seem my sister is not the only one how wasn't to adopt you."

I frowned at Alex, I'm not sure I was very comfortable with Lucy asking about me. I'd been working on getting my emotions sorted after Hammeroon and this was wreaking them. I sighed and asked back in the same whisper "why does everyone want to adopt me? What did I do?"

Vasquez actually laughed at that "you were you, you loveable dork."

"But why is Lucy looking for me?" I really wanted to know

Alex grinned devilish "apparently, after resigning from JAG and the military, she got offered a job at CatCo, which she took by the way, and wanted to get you out of your shell."

"There is nothing wrong with my shell!" I hissed, wondering what the hell Lucy's angle was on this "I like my shell, it fits!"

I groaned when Vasquez got the same look that Alex had "if it helps any, Lucy meet Lena at your apartment and became fast friends," I whimpered at that, those two were bad news together after the nightclub debacle "they are even making plans to take you out on the town, according to my sister who was pulled in as well."

"I want to go back to Gotham!" I protested holding my head in my hands as I could only imagine what those plans were.

Alex sniggered "they'd just follow you."

I glared at her "I don't want to talk to you anymore, Alexandra Danvers," Alex laughed evil as I reached out to kill the call.

"Hey!" Vasquez stopped me "what's the Soviet's name? So we can get that paper work started."

"Anya Savenlovich." I promptly hung up after that.

***GL***

Once we were back on Earth (a week later, took longer than I'd told Lena), I took Anya and Alexis straight to my apartment where more than Lena was waiting for me. I'd never realized that when Lena was refereeing to 'Aunt Kat' she was really referring to Cat Grant, Queen of All Media. Aunt Cat really wasn't related to Lena but they had some weird connection that Lena never really explained.

Cat had just grinned at me when I landed the three of us onto the balcony. She had a supportive hand on Lena's shoulder as I dropped my suit. I had Alexis hugging my neck tightly and giggling. She'd really liked the flying. Lena had tears in her eyes and her hands covering her mouth when she saw the little girl, she was certainly overwhelmed with emotion.

Lena had decided, not three hours later (she called me back), that she wanted to keep the little girl. She wanted to be Alexis's mother and give her as normal a live as she could. It wasn't Alexis's fault that she was alive, that she'd been created. Half of that little girl was Lena and she just couldn't turn her back on her.

The DEO wasn't the only ones with connections and this is where Aunt Cat comes in. Cat Grant had called in debts so that it would seem that Lena had hidden her pregnancy and had had Alexis in Paris, France. Lena had been there for a full year working with one of the Luthor Corps offices there. The girl was officially Lena's before she even arrived on earth.

"Alexis," I got the little girl to look at me "you remember how I told you that you have a mommy?" the little nodded looking at me with huge green eyes "and that your mommy was very anxious to see you and loves you very much?" she nodded again, so very shy "well, this, is your mommy," I pointed to Lena, who was now on her knees so I squatted down so that Alexis's feet were on the ground "you want to go see your mommy? I think she would really like that, don't you?"

I had forgotten just how precious children could be. How much they want love and affection and are so pure about it. I hadn't realized I was crying as I watched little Alexis run to Lena and throw herself at the woman, not until Ms. Grant was handing me a tissue. Alexis running to Lena was not something that I'd thought would happen, I thought there was going to be a lot of coxing involved.

"Some children don't need coxing to feel loved," Ms. Grant whispered as if reading my mind "Alexis is what Lena could have been if not for Lillian. Normally, I'm good at knowing which hero is whom. Lena has never told me until now. I was pleasantly surprised and I have to say that your mask is probably one of the better ones."

"My disguise is that I'm a loner that stays out of the public eye," I countered and scowled, watching Lena still cradling her daughter. Holding her tightly as if she was going to disappear "for three years I kept who knew me down to just a handful. Now, everyone might as well know."

Ms. Gran smirked and nodded toward Anya, who was now at my shoulder "who's your friend, she looks familiar."

Anya grinned and bowed her head to Ms. Grant "Soviet Cosmonaut Anya Savenlovich, at your service."

"Soviet?" Ms. Grant frowned and a look of understanding blazed in her eyes, Anya was speaking English "ah…you disappeared. Big story, your government wasn't happy about that. Welcome back."

"Thank you," Anya bowed her head again "now I just have to adjust to fifty years difference."

"Ever watch Star Trek?" Ms. Grant asked and grinned when Anya nodded looking confused "just pretend you're on the show. Communication devices that fit in your hand and computers that can talk to you. We even have the aliens to boot."

Anya didn't reply as she sort of had this dazed look on her face. I think Ms. Grant broke the Russian. That was slightly entertaining. Well, it was until Ms. Grant's focus was back on me.


	4. Chapter 4

**Last present for today...hope you liked them. Let me know whatcha thought :)**

Chapter Four: Monkeys and Backstories...

Took a few days to get Alexis into a routine and Anya caught up on the latest trends. Alex came by with the documents to make Anya alive again. Officially she'd been declared dead not long after the Soviets lost contact with her ship. Alex and Kara went with us to get Alexis and Anya clothed and to get other things they needed.

As it turned out, Lena and Lucy were not the only one to become 'good friends' while I was away. Lena and Kara had gotten really close in the last month or so. Like I'm pretty sure they're dating but they don't know they're dating sort of thing. Plus side was that Alexis and Kara were totally smitten with each other. When Alexis wasn't crawling over her mother she was all over Kara.

First time I witnessed Kara with Lena and Alexis was surreal. Only been back a handful of hours when morning came and Kara was knocking on the door with enough breakfast feed a football team. Not sure that Kara realized that I was home and I sure she was there just for Lena; however, Kara's healthy appetite came in handy than there was more than enough for everyone.

Alexis was captivated by Kara the moment she set her sleepy eyes on the woman, she wouldn't stop staring. Honestly, it was really cute to watch Alexis want Kara to feed her with Alexis leaving her Mommy's lap. Kara was more than willing to feed the girl and Lena had this look of adoration I've only ever seen her have for kittens, chocolate éclairs and Donald Duck (that one is usually when she's not feeling good). I wasn't sure who the look was pointed to but I took pictures anyways.

Alexis even tried babbling at Kara and we passed it off as the fact that Alexis only knew French. Her governess/caretakers…whatever had only spoken French and Alexis had always been a quiet baby. It was then I realized that we were going to have to make up a whole bunch of lies in order to keep Alexis safe. I had to wonder how good Winn was a making up fake baby pictures. Who was going to believe that we didn't have pictures of Lena's little cutie?

Then there was the interactions with Cat Grant. She became 'Grammy' and her son Carter became Uncle Carter (or as well as Alexis could say it) when Alexis started talking just a day or two of being on the ground. Kid's speech really did sound like butchered French. Alexis was pretty well looked after with our group in force.

The enforce group love and support that surrounded Alexis and Anya was relaxing and helped sooth the raggedness of my emotions. They were finally coming to the surface and they weren't pretty. Alex had helped me put in a home gym in my living room, which was freaking big enough that we could just split it down the middle and put a little fence around the gym that Alexis couldn't climb over.

The punching bag that Alex got me helped with the rage that came with the memory of Hammeroon dying in my arms. To deal with the sadness and grief, I ran on the treadmill until my legs were wobbly. I used the salmon ladder to cope with Lucy's rejection and what I had known was the inevitability of it.

So, when it was finally time to return to the DEO I felt much better; more stable. Anya was going with me when I returned. She was now a junior agent there because it seemed those friendly aliens who'd saved her gave her more than just information on earth. They taught her to read and speak a lot of different alien languages; Lam'cooes being slightly over helpful was not surprising at all.

***GL***

The DEO was in chaos when we arrived that morning. There were soldiers in military fatigues running about and I caught sight of Kara running for one of the halls. I told Anya to stay with Vasquez and chased after Kara.

I tracked her to one of the holding cells that was bathed in the light of green kryptonite. General Lane was there with his men holding General Astra on her knees. The green glowing syringe in his hand made it pretty clear what he was going to do, what was about to happen. I didn't need to hear Kara begging him not to hurt Astra as Alex was holding her back.

"STOP!" I screamed reaching out with a green hand and jerked the syringe out of his hand "I will not allow this," guns were trained on me as I strode further into the room "under the agreement between the DEO and Oa, Astra In-Ze falls under my purview. As she was a prisoner of Fort Rozz serving a life sentence she is remanded into my custody so she can be transported to Oa for retrial."

Astra's eyes widened slightly, staring at me as General Lane snorted like a mad brahma bull "she is our only link to Director Henshaw and you are interrupting my interrogation! I am acting Director of the DEO and what I say goes!"

Was Astra expecting to be tortured? From the look of surprise on her face, I could see that she was. Alex had mentioned that she thought Astra had gotten herself caught to make a distraction for Non and their people to raid Lord Tech. I had to wonder what move this was for.

"You do not have the authority to disregard that treaty, sir," Alex spoke up, her voice steady and strong while she was still holding Kara back "it was agreed upon by President Marsden while the Green Lantern was away. It covers all the Fort Rozz prisoners."

"I will talk to the Green Lantern," Astra spoke up suddenly, she was glancing at the man to General Lane's left who had his rifle trained on Kara; his finger was getting twitchy and Kara getting shot in here could kill her "no one else."

General Lane snarled and growled "you will talk to me and the Green Lantern will leave before I have her shot!"

"This fight isn't worth it, General," I said calmly "and it will be one you will lose," I told him "I can tear the guns away from you before any of you get the chance to pull the trigger. Astra In-Ze is in my custody and I will not allow you to harm her. Tell your men to stand down."

The man smirked darkly and ordered his men to lower their weapons. He didn't say anything beyond that as he marched out of the room with his men in tow. When he was gone, I moved over to the settings control and lowered the kryptonite levels back to the original levels. Someone had turned them up to make Astra uncomfortable, almost on the edge of being extremely sick.

***GL***

A quick talk with Kara proved that she wasn't going to leave the room for the upcoming talk. Neither was Alex for that matter. I made them promise to stay silent or I would remove them. Green Lanterns didn't believe in torture but I could mimic a frequency that can cause a person to feel comfortable enough to tell the truth.

Problem with that was it hurt me physically to produce the frequency. The more complex the mind of the individual it was being used on, the worse the backlash it caused me. Against being like Kryptonians it could be lethal. Lower life forms were easier to convince to be honest. This was going to have to happen the old fashion way.

"I knew a Green Lantern once," Astra started, her arms folded across her chest and glaring at me "came to Krypton to help with the insurgents. I had just joined the military guild. He failed in bringing them all to justice. He was weak just like I've seen you be weak."

I nodded "I was weak when I last saw you, Lady In-Ze, I freely admit that," I shrugged standing back from her confinement with my arms behind my back "I have never done well with change. Why are you fighting us?"

"I have told you already, Green Lantern, I have lost one planet already and it was destroy because my people didn't care," Astra lifted her chin "I will not lose another," she thought she beyond reproach "humans have no concept of the destruction they face."

"So then why don't you teach us?" I asked tilting my head "to teach someone a better way is the greatest of honors, is that not a Kryptonian saying? If you do want to teach then you don't want to save us, Lady In-Ze, you want to rule us."

Astra snorted "I see what you're doing and it will not work. Playing to my sense of duty to custom."

"Then what about your niece?" I asked curiously "fighting her is going to eventual lead to a crisis point because I know that she will not give up until she's stopped whatever your plan is. Are you actually able to kill the girl who seriously like your daughter? Genetically she could be."

Astra growled and glared at a watery eyed Kara "she has made her choice and I have made mine."

"Then why did you just save her?" I asked, Astra glared at me and I heard Kara and Alex respond softly behind me, at least they were restraining themselves "you said you'd talk to me and thus keeping General Lane from giving the order to open fire. In this room, it would have killed your niece."

"If that is what you believe, Green Lantern." Astra scoffed and folded her arms over her chest.

"I saw your eyes, Lady In-Ze. I know that you didn't want her hurt," I pointed out and watched her bristle, throwing her shoulders back stiffly "just like you didn't want to hurt me at our first meeting. You listened when I spoke when you could have just attacked," I let out a long breath "you are Supergirl's aunt, Astra, the one she speaks to me of when she was a little girl. I know why you were sent to prison, Lady In-Ze, I know the decision you made that brought strife to your family."

"You know nothing!" Astra screamed and attacked the glass

"Your sister made a report after she sent you away," I didn't flinch at her outburst "it was uploaded to a shared mainframe with Oa. We share one with several different juridical systems. It lets us know who's wanted, who's been caught, bounties posted and things like that. She agreed with your sentiment, wanting to save Krypton but not your methods. Alura added a side note that it was the hardest thing she'd ever have to do."

"What would you know about sibling betrayal?" Astra snarled dangerously

I ducked my head and nodding as I decided "I have two sister, one is older than me by two years and then other is younger by five," Astra looked at me in surprise as I let my suit vanish so she could see the real me "my older sister left home the second she could because our father was a very strict man who played favorites. He was had friends in the local Police department and he was very firm in his traditional beliefs. I know on Krypton, you have no concept of labeling sexuality but here on earth there is," I kept my voice even and firm even though I had to force it out "my younger sister was my father's favorite. He doted on her like he'd never done for my sister and me."

"Does this story have a moral?" Astra demanded, her arms folded across her chest again as she scoffed at me.

"When I was fifteen I was lost, trying to find myself in what appealed to me sexually. I'd had attractions got both boys and girls and I couldn't understand it. I'm a very visual person, writing things down helps so I wrote about what was bothering me," I continued and ignored her ire "my sister took my journal and showed them to my father. He'd been out drinking with my uncle who was in the military and home on leave," I lifted up my shirt to show a thick scar about three inches long just under my ribs "my father, in his drunken state, decided to beat the gay out of me and was halfway there before he decided that that would never work. He took a five inch kitchen knife and stabbed me with it."

Astra just frowned at me as if trying to understand why a parent would try to kill his child. It was an almost unheard concept on Krypton. They made their children using the codex. Genetically manipulating them for desired qualities. Main reason why nobody cared about sexuality because sex wasn't about procreation. I dropped my shirt and called the suit back up.

"My uncle saved my life and took me away from there," I finished feeling Alex and Kara's staring at my back, so intently that they could have started a fire there "and I haven't talked to them, my family, in ten years. It took effort and a very long time but I forgave my sister for what she did. She didn't understand what she as doing or how he'd react, she was ten. If needed, I would still help her. Blood binds us all."

Astra glanced to Kara and then lied "Henshaw is being held our base in the warehouse district."

I frowned "expect that is a lie, Lady In-Ze. We both know that this has been a power play," Astra growled lowly "you gave up too easily. You were willing to be tortured and my story makes you cave?"

"That is the only answer you're going to get out of me, Green Lantern." Astra stated defiantly.

***GL***

"Why is it always the warehouse district?" Kara groaned, we were back at the command center.

I could feel General Lane's glare "thing is, she lie though," I frowned at the pictures up on the screen of the district in question.

"About which part?" Alex asked

"I'm not sure." I admitted, General Lane scoffed.

Alex nodded "you should keep at her."

I shook my head "won't work, she's too committed," I glared at the monitors "I think this is another move on the chess board. She didn't break and she didn't give up and she won't. Astra will tell us only want she wants. She's had thirteen years to plan this out."

"Damn it," Alex sighed "this feels like a trap."

"Probably is," I nodded solemnly "question is, how do we turn it to our advantage?"

General Lane spoke up then "if any of my men get hurt, Lantern, I am holding you personally reasonable."

I snorted "no one is tell you to storm the castle, General. Personally, I would send in those bomb defusing robots. Let the machines take the brunt of whatever Astra and Non have planned."

***GL***

General Lane didn't send in the robots. Think the Red Tornado experience may have burned him on robots. Kara begged me to stay behind while Lane's men and Alex went to clear the warehouse that Vasquez had targeted, had satellite feed of people flying in and out. Lane gave a kill order instead of capture, not sure his first priority was getting Hank back. Kara didn't want him to do something to Astra while she was gone.

Turned out that Kara had cause to be worried. When the bombs in the containers went off and Lane got the after report, man went ballistic. He was going to go shot Astra himself and it was the DEO agents who stop him. I think the man was lucky that they only relived him of his weapon.

Kara had just returned when the monitors in the command center froze. Suddenly there was a man in a black suit and blond hair. It was Non, he wanted to trade Henshaw for Astra. There it was, that was their move.

"No, we do not negotiate with terrorist and we sure as hell don't free them," Lane growled

I look at him, we were standing at the glowing table "well, fortunately that's not your call. Astra is still my prisoner and not yours."

"You're going to regret this," Lane snarled before he stomped off.

I shrugged "that's what they said about tacos in Mexico my junior year of university but I still ate twelve of them."

Alex snorted "how'd that work out for you?"

"I was so sick," I grimaced at the memory, shaking my head to clear it as Alex sniggered at me "so, Supergirl, what's the call?"

"What?" Kara frowned at me "I thought she was your prisoner?"

"This is your call, I just don't like General Lane." I shrugged

Vasquez nudged my sided and asked "what about Major Lane, are we liking her?"

I looked over at her and blinked; I didn't want to talk about Lucy "I'm sorry were you speaking? All I heard was blah, blah, blah…we have an alien to trade for another…grumpy individual," I caught myself before I gave Henshaw's secret away and mumbled as I marched towards Astra's holding cell "they are both quite cantankerous come to think of it."

It didn't take long to get Astra ready for transport. Kara was being stoic and keeping a neutral expression to her face. I could only image what was going through her mind right now. To be honest, I hope it was enough to distract from the story I'd told Astra.

"I felt like there should be some rock song blasting over the speakers," I muttered as we walked a shackled Astra towards the garage "maybe 'Highway to Hell'?"

"Nah, 'Bad Moon Rising'," Alex countered "if we're going old school."

Vasquez rolled her eyes "amateurs, Five Finger Death Punch, 'Bad Company'."

I looked over at Alex, we both nodded "winner."

"Here I thought this was a serious matter." Astra snarked over her shoulder

"She has no idea what we're talking about, does she?" Vasquez sounded amused by the prospect.

***GL***

The convoy was moving along smoothly. Astra was conversing lowly to Kara in their native language that I refused to have the ring translate. Whatever their conversation was, it was between them. I had my head against window, blocking everything else out.

Which was probably how I missed the swirly blue portal opening up over the road ahead. However I did see the big ass, silver backed gorilla coming out of it and landed on the asphalt just head of Vasquez's SUV. Next to me, Alex's grip on the steering wheel turned white as she spoke with this deep and gravelly voice.

"I am Grodd!" Alex announced as the gorilla jumped up on to top of Vasquez's vehicle "and I will rule this puny realm."

"Did the giant fuck-off monkey just use Alex to speak?" I asked dumbly

Alex looked over and tilted her lead "I cannot reach your mind," she snarled at me "you will die first."

"Uhh….Kara…bad fuck-off monkey…." I don't know what to do

Astra did "release me, Little One," she commanded and got Alex's attention "before the monkey does something…gun!"

Not that it made a difference to her but Alex had the gun head towards me. I grabbed Alex's wrist to keep the gun away from my head, first shot took out my window. Kara and Astra exited the vehicle as Alex punched me in the face with her free hand.

Her hit dazed me and her second shot was caught by instinctual green bubble. Alex swore when I punched her back. The last time I fought with someone in the car it was my older sister Melody but she was just stealing my chicken nuggets not trying to shoot me. That fight was ended by my mother, this fight was ended by another blue portal that Astra threw the monkey into. Alex passed out with her chin on her chest.

A loud voice echoed from the portal "sorry about that!" a man called "went too far, he was meant for Earth-2," the portal closed then.

Alex woke, jerking her head up and looking around before cradling her nose "what the fuck?"

I pointed towards the sky "big fuck-off monkey…I don't even know how to start to process this, Alex."

Alex looked over and grimaced "you realize that you're bleeding, right?"

"You punched me in the face," I pointed out "what do you expect to happen when a big fuck-off monkey mentally controls you and has you, Alex Danvers, punch me in the face?"

It was then that Astra and Kara climbed back into the SUV. Astra had a big grin on her face and Kara looked just as dazed as I did. Alex just reset her nose and radioed Vasquez to keep moving. I wonder if Alex realizes that big fuck-off monkeys don't happen every day…nope, no processing this.

***GL***

The docks were bathed in an orange light and seemed a world away from what they were like during the day. It could have been its own alien world if one didn't know better. Also a great place for an ambush. All the containers stacked together with little spaces between them or creating what could be a shooting gallery.

It's almost fun when you can spot the rookie agents in the field, after fuck-off monkey, everyone was spooked. It wasn't exactly cheating that my ring was warning about [incoming: multiple Kryptonians] just before they started zipping into place. I kept the spooked agents from shooting at the new arrivals. Each wore a strange chest piece that glowed blue. Maybe ten of them in total.

"SORRY!" I called to a scowling Non "there was a big monkey that just attacked us, there's monkey prints on the roof. If you want to check."

Astra confirmed it "it's true."

Non nodded and his floating Kryptonians relaxed. That's when Lar-On arrived with Henshaw in arm. Lar-On was seriously something out of a monster slasher flick. The tall and hunched over body with a monstrous wolfish face, huge teeth and black claws. He was colored deep brown with lighter coloring and his eyes were glowing a soft red color. Not like laser beam red but like ominous 'I want to murder you and your whole family' red.

"Green Lantern," Lar-On chuffed and gave me a grin "I look forward to chewing on your bones."

"It'd be easier to go to Pet Co. and buy some rawhide bones. Taster too, I'd imagine." I countered and Kara snorted from beside me

"Silence," Non hissed glaring at his companion before looking to Kara "release her, now!"

"Release Henshaw!" Kara shouted back

I put a hand on Astra's shoulder and muttered as Kara removed the shackles "remember my offer, Astra. There need not be a fight; we can be allies like the days of old."

Astra looked unsure of herself before she walked off, passing Henshaw as she headed for her husband. Henshaw raised an eyebrow at me as he drew closer. When each 'hostage' was back on their own side, Non started to raise his hand for the attack.

I was close to calling up constructs I'd been thinking about, pretty sure those blue chest pieces are important. First goal would be to take those out without getting burnt to a crisp from their laser vision. Everything beyond that was left up to whim.

Astra stopped Non's hand and ordered the other Kryptonians to retreat. Lar-On growled my way before chuffing and leaping for the sky. I was right, there is nothing more scarier than a werewolf is a werewolf that can fly. I'm not sure what Astra said to Non, but he left looking pissed off.

"You did not lie, did you Lantern?" Astra called as she floated up into the sky "there is a place in the cosmos where my people have started to rebuild?"

I nodded "I would never lie about that, Lady In-Ze."

***GL***

I didn't go back to the DEO with the rest of the crowd. Instead, I got a text from Lena asked me to come home; Alexis was waiting me to tell her goodnight. Strange though, she asked me to come through the front door. Henshaw let me go, which left Alex and Kara to explain what had been happening while he was gone. Kara actually pouted at me as I lifted up and headed for the apartment.

Not wanting to come home empty handed, I stopped and got a box of donuts from Kara's favorite place (they were really good). Which lead to getting a gallon of chocolate milk and Lena's favorite candy, M&Ms, and was also a stuffed puppy that I could resist getting Alexis. It was mostly to keep both hands busy so I wouldn't be tempted to eat the donuts on the walk home from the shop…and because of that I couldn't open the door by myself.

Lena answered and grinned before whispering "what happened to your face? Whatever…Lucy's here, she thinks you went to Paris to get Alexis from the nanny there. You brought her home now that it's safe, Gotham was a cover."

"But Gotham was a cover." I muttered as I followed her to the living room after she'd shut the door "and Alex punched me in the face."

"Oh, okay," Lena shrugged "alright."

I gaped at her "really, I just tell you that Alex punched me in the face and that is your response!" I demanded in mock injustice, ignoring Lucy sitting on my couch with Cat Grant "I'm wounded for a second time Lena, a second time."

Lena grinned evilly "maybe you shouldn't have pissed her off."

Lucy was sitting on the couch with Alexis in her lap and making funny faces at her; which the little girl was happily giggling at. Ms. Grant was still here and sitting across from them on the second couch that I'd yet to touch; she was taking pictures. Lucy beamed when she saw me and then frowned.

"Alex Danvers did that?" she asked as I sank into the couch next to her, she grasped my chin "you're going to have a really nice black eye tomorrow."

I shrugged "I really hope the one I gave her is as nice as the one that she gave me," I grimaced at Lucy's prodding fingers as Alexis climbed into my lap from Lucy's "I think that's what I get for upsetting her."

Lucy snorted and let me go "and what did you do to upset her?"

"Well, Counselor, I made a crack about monkeys," I grinned down at Alexis, who'd found the stuffed puppy and was happily playing with it "speaking of counsellors, I heard about the career change, Ms. Grant is lucky to get a lawyer of your caliber."

Lucy narrowed her eyes at me "was that a military joke?"

I leaned away "…maybe? At least you weren't a fighter pilot beforehand. Am I in Harm's way here? Get it?" Lucy rolled her eyes at me.

"Oooh, I liked that show," Ms. Grant chuckled as she and Lena were digging into the candy "I did a cameo on the show and got to kiss David Elliot."

Lucy grinned, looking over at the woman "I actually remember that episode, it was the highest rated one of that season."

Ms. Grant just grinned and pointed to little Alexis, who'd fallen asleep against my chest clutching the puppy in a death grip. Lena awed and stole Ms. Grant's phone to take a picture before she took Alexis to put her to bed. Ms. Grant left not much after that because she had to get back to Carter. This left Lucy and I alone.

"Why did you come over tonight?" I asked as I held the box of donuts out to Lucy.

She shrugged as she took one "Kara mentioned you were getting back into town and I wanted to see you. I had a lot of fun over tacos and it's not like I have very many friends here so…" she grinned at me "why are you so surprised?"

"I'm always surprised by people," I admitted leaned back into the couch tiredly "people hardly ever make sense. That's why I like lab work. I know how the chemicals are going react, how things go together and usually why they come apart. People are so much more complicated than that."

Lucy chewed thoughtful on her bit of donut before nodding "we need to change your view of people, Nadine. Get you a girlfriend or a boyfriend…"

"Or neither," I countered really not liking the twisting sensation in my stomach at her suggesting such a thing "I'm perfectly fine on my own, you know."

"Come on, Kara has Lena; which I'm sure is going to break Lois's little ole heart," Lucy sniggered at the thought "I have James," I did my best not to snarl at that "Winn was claimed by Anya, which is cute when he starts trying to tell her how a smart phone works. Alex seems to be in a committed relationship with her work and you need someone too!" she tugged at my sleeve as she passionate tried to prove her point.

I shook my head "no, I don't," I did smile at her pout "come now, Counselor, you should know that you are not going to be able to argue this one and win."

Lucy sighed angrily and then shrugged "yeah, but you're still going to the club with me and the girls. If you meet someone then you have to give them a chance."

I nodded and lulled my head back "because that worked so well the last time that happened," I mused as I closed my eyes.

"Nadine," Lucy's voice was small and a little broken as she laid her head on my shoulder "I just want you to be happy."

"I am," I murmured sleepily "for all that's ever happened to me, in this moment, right now, with you, Lucy Lane, I am happy and that's enough."

***GL***

The next day was spent with Kara, Lena and Alexis, we took Alexis to the zoo. It was actually nice for California in December. The four year old was excited and instantly fell in love with the monkeys and by extension…the gorillas. That made three of us wince and left Lena wondering what the hell was going on and why we basically fled the monkey exhibit. Not even sure we could watch Tarzan now without flashbacks.

The day was totally worth it to see how excited Alexis was. She knocked out in the afternoon, Kara happily carrying the sleeping girl with her head on her shoulder. We went back to my place after that (Lena and Alexis were still living there) where there was snacks and video games.

It was dark by the time that Kara and Alex wondered off to have 'sister's night'. Once they were gone, I popped over to Lena's room where she was still working. Her laptop was in her lap and Alexis's part of the room was pitch black. I told her I was going to go find the Bat. Gotham was only two hours ahead of us so the Bat would be out; I mean if she still wanted Wonder Woman to know. Lena nodded and then I left.

Leaping off the balcony was very entertaining. It made me feel free as I called up the ring's power and streaked up and out of the city headed for Gotham. At near super-sonic speeds flight took just over an hour, I've never actually clocked myself but Green Lanterns can go pretty fast.

A sweep of the city, which had proper snow that I hadn't realized that I missed until then, I found three Bats out working. Didn't have need for Batgirl, Batwoman was fun to chat with but not the bat I was looking for. Found Batman half an hour later hanging off his favorite gargoyle atop Wayne Tower over looking pretty much all of the city. He growled softly as I hovered before him.

"I thought you left he city?" his voice was overly gruff, his breath a mist cleaning to the air.

I shrugged "I did, but I miss it here," he scoffed at that, no seriously I did. It didn't feel like Christmas should be just around the corner because there was no snow in National City; it was really freaking weird "also, I need to get a message to Wonder Woman."

That piqued his interest "oh, why?"

"As I know I can trust you," I frowned as he tilted his head curiously "Green Lanterns went on a mission last week or so. Son of a Big Bad was stealing from our sector and got his hands on one of Lex Luthor's traveling labs. Turns out his moon base was just a launching pad for his space ship and to dirty Superman's name."

"Where doesn't that psycho have labs? Aquaman destroyed one a month ago in the Bering Strait," he scoffed darkly and shook his head "what does Luthor's labs have to do with Wonder Woman, shouldn't this be a matter for Superman?" he asked

"It would have been if Subject-29 would have come back to Earth with me," I floated closer "another version of the superman clone with a third genetic donor toss in, blue skin and white horns. Became a Green Lantern," I refused to think of Hammeroon, I didn't want to feel his loss again "but Lex was experimenting with more than just Super's DNA, he has samples from you, Aquaman, Hawkman and Wonder Woman."

Batman sneered "who'd he clone?" he growled and snorted contemptuously "Wonder Woman, wasn't it?"

I nodded "he did a hybrid clone using Lena Luthor's genetic coding as the other donor. The child was still in the maturation chambers when the ship was taken, not fully grown like the others clones when pirates pulled her out. Alexis is about four years old, I'm horrible at guessing ages."

"She a danger?" he asked curiously.

I shook my head "no, I ran a full battery of tests, as non-invasive as I could get and it's my belief that they didn't have the chance to program her for anything. Subject-29 was with the scientists more than Alexis was but he barely speaks and only had a tenuous grasp of his powers," I watch him turn this information over in his head "Lena has Alexis and plans to publicly claim her as her daughter. It should be relatively easy to say that she is Lena's and Diana's kid. Diana was in Europe four years ago as ambassador and she has the gods' attention so…"

He chuckled humorlessly "she's going to love that last bit, kid. That's not how it works."

"People don't know that," I pointed out "people be dumb and crazy. Lena doesn't plan on saying who the second parent is until Wonder Woman is informed and has a chance to help decide. Until then, she's going to stay silent and work with Cat Grant."

"Her un-official aunt," he nodded and I scrunched up my nose at him, why was I always the last to know about people things "she'll be able to control the story. What about Lex and Lillian. Lex being put away means nothing and he'll still go after her; everyone knows Lena's moving the company and spreading rumors are saying that she's rebranding it," he snorted and nodded towards me "near everyone knows that she's friends with a Green Lantern, you kid. Going public puts a target on them."

"I'm pretty sure that Supergirl will help out…" I frowned deeply at the thought

Batman sniggered at that "go home kid, I'll put a birdie in the air for Paradise Island, can't say its real name," he scowled "don't expect her anytime soon. That Amazon is hard to get a hold of."


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I don't own Supergirl or Green Lantern.**

 **P.S. really...tell me whatcha think, only way to make the story better**

Chapter Five: The Day CatCo Stood Still…

Christmas had come and gone. We'd all congregated at Kara's place the day of and I got to squirm under Eliza's scrutiny; I wasn't alone in this misery, Lena was getting it too. She wasn't doing it in a malicious way but she was having fun asking Lena and I a bunch of questions. Lucy, Alex and Kara thought it was hilarious. Our saving grace had been little Alexis, who asked her own host of questions in return…she'd learned how to talk and there was no stopping her.

We held a Secret Santa. Lena had gotten Eliza; she'd gone to the sisters for help and gotten the doctor a life time subscription to some geneticist publication. From her Secret Santa, whom I'm sure was James, she got a rather nice bottle of wine. I got Winn and I didn't need help to know what to get him. Lena and I built him his own personal L-book laptop and accompanying tablet; way more powerful than anything that was on the market.

My gift was a curious thing. It was a necklace with a golden starburst pendent that had a sparkly sapphire at the center on a sterling silver chain. My mother had had one just like it when I was a child and I was absolutely fascinated by it, mesmerized more like. I looked up quickly from my inspection of it to Lucy because she and Lena were the only ones who knew it.

Lucy had had this knowing smile and asked if I needed help putting it on. When I could only nod dumbly, she took the necklace from me and moved closer. How was I to keep my feelings for her in check and in the friend zone when Lucy was doing things like this? I mean, it was a friendly gift but that wasn't the feelings it conjured weren't. That necklace had always been a representation of a time of innocence when I didn't know how cruel the world could be.

Maybe that was how I got talked into Lucy's all important night out at one of National City's most prominent lesbian nightclubs just after the New Year started. I was still in shock about the gift and getting stuck down memory-lane where I usually refuse to go. I think what was most irksome was the fact that Lena, Kara, Alex and Vasquez helped the CatCo lawyer convince me to go because I wasn't really aware enough to put up a fight. Their group effort, while effective, made me rethink my association with them.

They dressed me in an a very tight red t-shirt, soft and stretchy, with a white outline of a loin on the shoulder and low riding faded blue jeans and combat boots. Lena did my eyeliner and playfully told me to stop scowling, woman knew I didn't like makeup and she was having a field day with this. When Vasquez and Lucy arrived at my apartment, Vasquez whooped and slapped my ass.

"Damn, Pickett, you look yummy enough that I might not let you leave this apartment," she tease pressing herself into my back "I'll keep you here and the others can go out."

Looking over my shoulder, I winked at her as I let one hand travel up the side of her thigh to her ship "I'm not sure you could handle this, Susan," I husked out and ground back into her, she whimpered a little "I could make you forget how to speak English if I wanted."

I yelped as I was suddenly pulled away from Vasquez by Lucy "enough of that," she growled and glared at the glassy eyed and sappily grinning agent "save it for the club."

Vasquez snorted and whispered loudly to Lucy as she moved past her towards "jealousy looks interesting on you, Lane. Leave something that good looking alone and anyone will try and take her."

I frowned and looked down at myself. Was Vasquez being sincere about the good looking bit or was she messing with Lucy? I was about to ask when Lucy shoved my jacket into my chest and pulled me out of the apartment by my hand. For some reason, Lena and Vasquez wore the same knowing smirks.

***GL***

The club was very lively and there was good music playing. Lena paid for us to get in and I got the first round of drinks; our tradition. Two round in and Lucy was dragging me out onto the dance floor.

Came back to the table a little bit later to find that Vasquez had vanished. The woman, Siobhan was her name, hanging off of Alex described Vasquez's girl as a 'badass Latina chica' in a black leather jacket. Then Alex was drawn away from our table by Siobhan with whispered promises and neck biting. It was painfully obvious what the woman was doing to poor Alex.

Lucy dragged me back out to the dance floor with Lena and Kara. If Lucy wanted me to meet other women she wasn't helping the process. She was dancing with me in a possessive manner and glaring off potential suitors (Lena's words).

I was enjoying myself, Lucy and the start of a really nice buzz when James, Winn and Anya arrived. The trio were supposed to be having a Star Wars marathon or something at Winn's place. I could only guess what brought them here, to this club that Anya looked very uncomfortable in. I'm not sure Anya's ever seen this much exposed flesh in public before.

Lucy squealed and dropped my hand that she was leading me around by to run to James and jump on him, kissing faces all around. Winn patted me apologetically on the shoulder and whispered that he and Anya had tried to keep James away but…James really doesn't like me nor trusted me apparently. I nodded my thanks, did a fist bump with him and then stole Lena's shot she was reaching for and left the bar.

***GL***

Quick text back to Lena told her that I'd gotten overwhelmed with the crowd (not exactly a lie) and was headed home. Actually, I walked far enough to get away from the bar before I took to the skies as the Lantern. There was no way that going home was going to help with the emotions I was dealing with. That night buzz I had vanished when the suit came up.

Patrolling the city was going fine until my active scanning screamed an incoming warning and a soccer ball sized bit of hail scattered against my shield. I gaped at the rooftop where the ice had been hurled from and dodged a second one from the same spot. That's when I was hit in the back with what I want to say was a lightning bolt.

The hit fried the communication device that connected me to the DEO, which would automatically send a distress signal to the base. In addition to that, the hit forced me down to the ground where I crash landed in a duck pond in a nearby park. An angry goose tried to bite me as I scrambled out of the water. The suit took the brunt of the electrical damage while I took the physical damage of hitting the water.

I stumbled onto the sidewalk around the pond and was greeted with a girl in purple mask and a big sliver guy popping into existence right before me; big silver guy hits pretty damned hard. He can also toss me like I weigh nothing and across the park too. Hitting the tree didn't help and I was trying to get up when the pair popped to be right in front of me.

This time it was the guy who went flying when I hit him with a stiff and large fisted upper cut. The girl popped away before I could do anything to her so I went after the rolling tin can. He was getting up when I hit him again and sent him into the wrought iron fence I'd had to scale in order to get out of pond.

It caved in around him so I wrapped him up in it, like rolling up a piece of paper or a newspaper to whap someone on the face with. I was tying that off when Purple Mask returned with a guy in blue mask who was forming that soccer ball hail between his hands. He was hit in the chest with an intense blue laser beam before he could through the hail, Blue Mask was knocked off his feet and the hail evaporated.

Supergirl landed beside me and nodded to me before we had to dodge hail balls again. Kara went after him again, using frost breath to chill him out while I tried to get a bead on Purple Mask. Found her when she popped up behind me with a metal pipe to the back. I punched her in the face for that and watched her crumple to the ground out cold.

Pulled out a blue cable net (totally stole the design from the Darkstars) and used it on the downed menace. Had her restrained and going nowhere when the most god-awful and pricing sound went off somewhere nearby. It was a sonic frequency that was set high enough to be debilitating and put me to my knees. Felt like it was trying to split my skull in two with a very dull blade.

I could see Kara was down on the far side of the park. Something streaking in red rushed through the park as DEO copters finally showed. Black Mask, the one emanated the noise when down with a tranq dart to the neck and the noise stopped when Kara destroyed the device emitting the sound with her laser vision.

Only attackers we kept ahold of was Black Mask. Everyone else got away with the help of that red streak. Kara and I were taken back to the base and held overnight by Dr. Collier. I was on Re-Gen (fucking again) and Kara was put on the sun table thingy. Something about bruises, electrical burns and ruptured eardrums but I suck at reading lips…certain couldn't hear was he was on about.

Nobody could find Vasquez or Alex, they weren't answering their phones so Kara just told Henshaw to forget it before she fell asleep. I only know this because Kara told me the next morning after I woke up and could hear again.

***GL***

Lucy was waiting for me outside of my apartment when I returned to it the next morning. Lena was at Kara's place as Alexis spent the night with Cat; I sort of felt bad for ruining Kara's night off with her girlfriend (they were officially dating now and yes, I did give Kara a shovel talk). I didn't even notice Lucy at first as I felt like death warmed over; I'd been dropped off a DEO agent.

"What happened to you?" Lucy demanded scaring the crap out of me when she seemingly came out of nowhere "who did this?" she demanded holding my bruised face in her hands.

I shrugged "no clue," it was the truth "got attacked on my way home from the club. Not too far from the club, truthfully. Spent the night in the hospital and the morning with the authorities. If it makes you feel better, I gave as good as I got."

Lucy snarled "no, that doesn't make me feel better. Why didn't you call me?"

I frowned at her "I called Kara and Lena. You were with James and I didn't want to ruin your night," I told her as I pushed past her and got into my apartment, finally, and collapsed tiredly on the couch. Lucy followed, slamming the door and stomping her way over to me "did you want me to ruin your night like I did Kara's?"

"YES!" Lucy screamed and proceeded to attack me with a pillow "you could have been seriously hurt or worse, Nadine," the pillow attack stopped as Lucy knelt down beside the couch "I care about you, you idiot! I don't want to see you hurt or in pain or miserable. I'm here for you just like I know you'd be there for me!"

I nodded sleepily "I'll remember that for the next time this happens. I'm accident prone."

Lucy let out a soft growl as she crawled onto the couch with me, using me for a pillow "no more accidents," she mumbled into my shirt.

I snorted as I wrapped my arms around her "yea, cause that's how it works."

***GL***

Three days after Mask Night found me standing just outside of Cat Grant's office watching Lena give an interview to the owner of the office. Cat decided that giving a general interview and slipping Alexis in was the best way to go. It was scripted but Lena and Cat were good actresses. Also, Black Mask (Hartley Rathaway) had been taken back to Central City by Jenifer so she could get the names of the Masks he was working with.

Lucy stood at one shoulder and Kara at the other and Winn was inside working the camera. James was glaring at us from his office; he really wasn't liking me since Mask Night and Lucy being pissed off that I'd been attacked by 'homophobes'. According to Winn, James got an earful about crashing girl's night because James was insecure.

Anyways from where Lucy, Kara and I were standing, it was easy to hear what was being said. It was like a game of rapid fire…a seriously sassy game of rapid fire. They talked about Lena's move to National City and why it was taking place so soon after Lex's trial. The ink hadn't even dried on the court transcripts nor on the document making Lena CEO of LuthorCorp. Which had been LexCorp and was to be renamed L-Corp once work on Lena's office building was complete this upcoming summer.

Then Cat got the question we were all waiting for "speaking of family, Miss Luthor, I heard a rumor that you might have some here in National City. Another reason to prompt the move besides a more…shall we say…unbiased Super and a City that doesn't personal hate you."

Lena snorted "those two reason are more miraculous than you know but yes, I do have people I consider family here. I have a sister and…and I have a daughter."

Cat's eyebrows shot up "you do? Why haven't I heard about this before?"

"No one has but really close family and now close friends," Lean admitted "I wanted to protect my daughter and keeping her secret was the best way. Now I feel it's safe for her to be here with me."

"I can only assume that you're feeling confident in that if you're speaking to me of your daughter," Ms. Grant tilted her head "I have children of my own, I would never put another's at risk."

Lena smiled at that "thank you for your concern, Ms. Grant but I'm sure. Besides, I'm not giving up my daughter and didn't want any rumors about her when I go out into public with her. No child should be in danger just because of their parents."

"Agreed," Ms. Grant nodded "mind telling us who the other parent is?"

"Yes, I do mind," Lena smiled sweetly "but that is between me, my daughter and her other parent."

"Do we at least get a name?" Ms. Grant asked and Lena shook her head "maybe some other time," Lena just shrugged "oh, I think we will, Miss Luthor. I think L-Corp is going to be doing great things."

With that the camera clicked off and the recording stopped. Lena bowed her head to Cat before asking what she was doing for lunch. That was when Kara and Lucy pulled me away from the glass, they were talking about lunch plans of their own…which included me. Kara got called back by Cat and Lucy dragged me to her office just across the floor.

***GL***

"Nice," I took the office "very modern with the glass, and the windows and oh, you have one of those newfangled things called a computer," Lucy was chuckled at that as I poked at it "does it go on that one thing…" I started snapping my fingers "it has a name, a nice name, people use it all the time."

"You, Nadine Pickett, are a dork," she grinned from behind her desk "and yes, it has the internet."

"Oooh…" I hurried over and pushed her aside, her office chair rolling easily "kitten videos wait for no woman, you were in the way."

"Rude," Lucy giggled as she stopped her rolling "you don't even know my password," her eyebrows shot up when I unlocked her computer "how-how did you do that?"

"Ugh…" I couldn't tell her that my ring told me "lucky guess with 'West Point'."

Lucy didn't look impressed "I didn't realize that I was that predictable."

I shrugged "so predictable, like totally…like you had it tattooed on your forehead. You should really check into that. Also, ya know, new background this one is has some funny looking dude on it."

"Again, rude," she smacked me and smiled at the picture "that's me and James in Hawaii, our first vacation together. He'd just won the Pulitzer, this was how we celebrated."

"That sounds…horrible, with the sand and the water…so much water and the tropical paradise," I shook my head at her "the girls in the grass skirts and…and roasted pigs. That's just…doesn't sound like something a normal person would do."

There was more laughter from the stern lawyer "are you always this way?"

I shrugged "you'd have to ask Lena, I try not to track my behavior," I sighed drastically "last time I did it lead me to an unground fight club, Lena was so disappointed and proud. Did disappointed because I was arrested and proud because my fake id was the bomb."

Lucy snorted and rolled her chair back over to her computer, pushing me out of the way "I feel like you have some very interesting stories to tell, Miss Pickett," she raised a challenging eyebrow as she locked her computer back down "now, away with you, Kara wants to introduce me to what she claims is the best burger in National City."

I nodded in agreement "pretty sure she'd know. That girl knows every restaurant in this city and has rated them. I've seen the chart."

"And it's such a pretty chart," Lucy nodded as we left her office "what the…?"

Lucy tackled me to the carpet as electricity arched across the main floor and destroyed the monitors that were mounted to Ms. Grant's wall. Then the floor was swarmed by the Masks from the other night. They were a member down but still were shouting and pushing people towards the center of the office space. Lucy told me not to fight them.

When they had everyone where they wanted us they started searching for something or someone. Purple Mask was left looking over our group, the gun in her hand never wavered. I looked over Lucy's shoulder to Kara. Silent communication is a wondrous thing. I'd make a distraction and she'd come in as Supergirl.

"Alright," the leader wore a red mask with yellow lightning bolts at the ears (he must have been the red streak), stomped his way back to us some twenty minutes later. We could hear the sirens from the street below "listen up, we're looking for Cat Grant."

"She's out to lunch," I spoke up quickly, this was my distraction. Lucy was trying to shush me "can we take a message for you, seems like you're in a hurry."

"Nadine!" Lucy hissed "HEY, DON'T TOUCH HER!" she screamed as I was dragged to my feet. Silver Guy shoved Lucy back to the floor as Red Mask punched me in the gut.

Red mask put his face in mine "you think this is a joke?" he snarled as I tried catching my breath.

"Nope, nope, I don't think this is a joke," I shook my head, gasping for air "but I do think that if you're not careful a lot of innocent people are going to get hurt. Cat Grant just left for a lunch date," that didn't help his temper any and he punched me in face much to Lucy's extreme disapproval.

"WHERE DID SHE GO!" he screamed

I grinned with blooded teeth "how would I know, I'm not her keeper. I just know that she's not here. So why don't you tell us what you want and maybe we can help you instead," I spoke softly and evenly "there is no need for anyone to get hurt or worse. So, tell me, Red Mask, what did you want from Cat Grant?"

"Are you a cop?" he asked suspiciously and leaned in closed "or a Green Lantern, perhaps."

I snorted, wondering how he'd come to that guess "nope to neither, I don't have the disposition for that, I don't like guns for one. However, I have watched a lot of TV and I'd rather not die today as I have plans with my niece later. My sister will kill me if I died here," he sniggered at that "so, what do you want?"

"The world to know about my kind," he said before shoving me back to the floor, that hurt and Lucy yanked me to her protectively. Red Mask held out his hand, it started to blur as it started vibrating and had little bits of lightning arching between his fingers "we are meta-humans and we've been denied too long."

"Ah…you're from Central City," I nodded in understand and was promptly smacked by Lucy "well, that's where they are from," I pointed out and glanced over Lucy's shoulder hoping Kara was gone but James was keeping Kara in place. Fucking fuckboy! I looked back to a stunned Red Mask, I needed to get her more time "what? I read conspiracy webpages sometimes when I'm bored and want see how far the human race has fallen into stupidity. There are a hundred new websites from Central City that popped up after the Particle Accelerator exploded."

Purple Mask hissed at me "you should stop talking now."

"You really should," Lucy growled and smacked me "before I hurt you because I won't let them get the chance. I'll do it myself."

Kara spoke up next, when Silver Guy was reaching for me again "I'm Ms. Grant's assistant," James growled at her, trying to shut her up whilst playing with his watch "maybe I can help you."

Blue Mask snorted "what you going to do, get me a latte?"

Red Mask rolled his eyes "idiot, she can tell us where Cat Grant is having lunch and the Peek-a-Boo can get her and bring her back.

Kara shook her head "I can't tell you that because I don't know. She didn't tell me nor did she tell me when she was returning," Kara said quickly to stop Sliver Guy from reaching for me a second time "what I can do is make sure you get what you want without Ms. Grant's help."

Blue Mask smirked, a hail ball forming in his hands "and how are you going to do that, girly?"

"By getting you on the TV," Kara pointed to the screens above our heads "this is a multi-media company. We keep the equipment here that not only gets us on television but social media as well," while she spoke trying to think of a way to get my ring out of my pocket and put it on "we are surrounded by reporters and a live feed would only take five minutes to set up."

Red Mask titled his head side to side and then smiled "we'll think on it," he said as the phone on Kara's desk started ringing "but first, the police want to make their offer as well."

***GL***

Lucy was beyond pissed at me as she used tissues she'd gotten Purple Mask to hand her to clean the blood from around my mouth. My lip was spilt and there was a cut inside my mouth. Kara had finally made James let her go but she couldn't slip away now and me antagonizing the Masks any more wasn't a good idea.

Whatever opportunity we'd had at the start of this thing was gone thanks to fuckboy James. From the way that Kara was glaring at the man, her friendship with him was over or it was very near over. Funny thing was that Lucy and James weren't concerned with each other the way a couple should have been in this situation. Lucy had been more concerned with me and James with Kara. I didn't mind my half of that arrangement, the pain I could do without.

Red Mask came back thirty minutes, he didn't look happy as he knelt before Kara "you can get us on your network?" he asked and Kara nodded "okay, but make it quick," he told her as he stood and moved over to yank me back to my feet, tearing me away from Lucy "and just so you know I'm serious," he did the hand trick again but this time arched a bolt of lightning at me, it hit me in the chest and sent me flying backwards.

It was so hard to breathe as my muscles seized up as I was knocked over a desk. Felt like my teeth were going to crack and break with the force that I was clenching my jaw with, felt like there were thousands of fire ants crawling all over my skin. Not sure what happened after that because I passed out.

***GL***

I groaned as I started to wake, I felt like I'd been hit by a runaway bus. Like every bit of my chest, every square inch of me had been hit by an eighteen-wheeler. Made breathing a little strange and I tried rolling over to my side but s strong arms kept me where I was. I was begin held, propped up in someone's lap. My shirt had been ripped open, I could feel a slight breeze against my stomach.

"Nadine," Kara was whispering low and in my ear, she wasn't the one holding me I knew that much "you need to relax and just breath. You're heart stopped but we got it going again with a defibrillator."

I nodded "oh, okay. That really hurt."

"You are in so much trouble," Lucy hissed at me, she was the one holding me "why couldn't you keep your mouth shut?"

"Because I…don't remember now," I opened my eyes to look up at her, Lucy's eyes were red and puffy and her cheeks were tear stained "what happened to Red Mask?"

Kara pointed towards the TV bank above us "Winn got him on live forty minutes ago, it's been playing on a loop."

There on the screen was Red Mask in his black leather and a manic smile "hello World, I'm Mister Element. Two years ago, Harrison Wells the Third of S.T.A.R. Labs turn on his Particle Accelerator and changed Central City forever," he held up a hand to do that trick of his, I could help but wince when Lucy pulled me closer to her "I was a normal guy with a normal job living a normal life with a girlfriend and a dog but then this happened. I was no longer normal!" he screamed, his face twisted up with rage "then the Green Lantern came and smothered our existence!" oh so that's why they attacked me the other night because I was a Green Lantern "we will not be silenced and shamed any longer! We are meta-humans and our lives are not something to be covered up like a nasty little secret!"

I looked up at Lucy, who was glared at the screen. She looked like she wanted to go through the TV and strangle the guy. Kara was glaring at James who kept tapping his watch and had a hand on her arm again. He was keeping her from disappearing and coming back; I was going to have to punch him in the face for getting me electrocuted or whatever.

Kara swearing lowly and got my attention just before a blue and red blur smashed through the window. Sluggishly, I watched Superman tore through the room, subduing the Rainbow of Crime and ending the repeating loop. Again Kara swore and James frowned at her as she wrenched her arm out of his grasp. She shimmered out of existence, moving too fast to see and a second later Supergirl was there putting a blurry Red Mask down as second time.

Kara didn't want to start tearing into Superman in Kyrptoneze. I caught the jist of it and his arrival wasn't a very welcome one. He didn't have the right to undermine her as a Super and using James to try and control her was underhanded. Kal-El growled back, in a very horrible accent, that if he hadn't come then…I couldn't understand him but Kara punched him hard in the face and sent him through the window.

"What she doing?" James gaped watching in horror as Kara lit into her cousin with purpose.

"Probably pissed that he treading all over her territory," I glared over at him "that she wasn't allowed do her job because some man thought he could do it better."

Lucy snorted and tapped my forehead "I know you're grumpy but stop talking, paramedics should here soon."

"Supergirl should be thankful," James muttered, glaring at where Kara went through window after Superman "he saved us."

"Bitch," I snapped through gritted teeth "I will cut you," that wasn't a creditable threat because I had to stop to breathe "you misogynistic little bastard."

James growled and looked to Lucy "are you going to let her talk to me that way?"

Lucy shrugged "I'm not her keeper, grown ass woman can say what she wants."

"Seconded." Winn snapped, glaring at James from near my feet.

***GL***

Lena was pissed as she paced my hospital room. I mean a real hospital and not the DEO because my being injured was too public; they didn't want to raise any questions. Stupid doctors wanted to keep me overnight for observation. They wanted to make sure that Red Mask's bolt didn't damage my heart. Pretty sure the Re-Gen that Lena had gotten from Alex and took a little too much pleasure in sticking me with would take care of that.

"What were you thinking?" Lena hissed for the hundredth time

I snapped "that if I gave Kara the opening then she…crap," I wondered if I'd just outted Kara to Lena "that she could call for help, girl always has her cellphone on her."

"Please, she's Supergirl," Lena snorted contemptuously "she told me on our first date. Took me out to gourmet pizza had our first kiss and then she tells me she's Supergirl."

"Oh, okay," I nodded, Lena didn't sound impressed with how Kara gave her the news "well, I was trying to give her an opening but James held her in place. Making him let go would have brought attention to them," Lena growled and threw herself into the chair next to my bed "why don't you go home, Lee," I offered "I'm fine and I'll be out by morning. Unless I forcibly check myself out. I'm tempted and I'm protected," I held up my hand to show her the ring I was wearing.

Lena huffed "Alexis is with Cat and Carter tonight. Carter is stoked that he's now Uncle Carter," she smiled softly at that "thank you for bringing my daughter home, Nadine. I never thought I would get to experience being a mother and now I wouldn't give it up for the world."

"I wish she could have a better start but she's going to have a better future," I pointed out before asking "how did the whole battle between Supergirl and Superman go?"

Lena snorted "Supergirl sent him packing. Cat ran the story that he was an imposter conjured by the meta-humans. Gave them both outs," and then scoffed "guess who else is in town?" I shrugged "Adam Foster," she chuckled when I looked confused "he's Cat's first son, he's just a bit older than you. Apparently, he got a letter that Cat wrote but didn't mean to send, Kara had something to do with that," Lena shook her head at that, smiling at the mention of her girlfriend "Cat was describing what she was going to do to Kara when she got her hands on her when reports came in that CatCo was under fire."

"How long did the whole thing last?" I asked wondering how long I'd been out.

Lena's scowl deepened "three hours, in which many people were wondering where Supergirl or the Green Lantern were but we can't say where they really was without causing problems. Alex and the DEO were trying to talk them down when Superman showed."

I just nodded and laid back in the bed. There was going to be fallout from this for sure. Meta-humans were now a proven theory. I know why Jenifer and Wells had tried so hard to keep them secret. It wasn't because they wanted to keep from the government…which honestly was a losing battle.

Lena made me scoot over on the bed so she could lay down next to me; then she stole the remote and started flicking through the channels with her head on my shoulder. She never did like it when I wound up in the hospital and vice versa. There've been a few times we wound up here, most spectacular was when Lena caused an explosion in her lab and burnt her eyebrows off.

***GL***

I had almost fallen asleep watching some show about animals when someone knocked on the hospital door in the wee hours of the morning. It was Alex and Vasquez dressed in tact gear. That was not as weird as them shutting the door and locking it behind them.

"Did I miss the memo for a party?" I asked as Lena shot out of the bed

"Bartholomew Allen escaped from custody twenty minutes ago by phasing through the cell door before we could transfer him to the DEO," Alex responded as Vasquez was placing little devices at the corners of the room "he hacked into the police computers and looked you up, Nadine. We think he's looking to finish what he started back at CatCo," she explained "Supergirl and the Green Lantern from Central City are out looking for him."

"You know what, I miss Gotham." I pouted and Lena snorted back her laughter. I had to wonder when Jenifer had gotten here.

With Alex's help, I was able to get unhooked from the machines without them going off. I wasn't about to let myself be defenseless in bed. Now I was very glad that Lena had brought me sleeping pants and a tank top so I didn't have to stay in that damn hospital gowns (it was a fight to get them to let me wear the tank top).

My feet had just touched the ground when something slammed into the door. My power flared up as the blue shield that Vasquez's devices had put up rippled with the hit. I pushed Lena behind me as there came a roar of fury from the other side that sounded unhuman and that unhuman thing came harder at the door.

Alex and Vasquez kept their guns trained on the spots being hit as it moved from the demolishing the door to where it shattered the widows and tore away the curtains. It was Red Mask, his face twisted up in something beyond rage. His black leather jacket was torn and tattered and the rest of his was a blur as he was vibrating too fast to see.

"He's going to destroy the hospital," Lena gaped

"Are your devices connected like a circuit? They have to be connected in order to keep working?" I asked, I couldn't let him harm anyone else. I had to get him out of the hospital.

Alex didn't look back as she answered "no, they don't so don't worry. If these start to go we pushed the other set up front."

"Not why I was asking," I told her as I stomped on the nearest emitter, Alex was screaming at me as the shield at our backs went down and I phased through the wall. I came back through the room next to mine "play nice now," I murmured as wrapped up Red Mask in green tendrils and flew as fast as I could towards the exit.

He was a slippery little rat, keep trying to phase through my constructs. I had to keep making them and changing the energy frequency because he kept matching them to get free. It was taking more effort than I had energy. At this rate I wasn't going to be able to get him to the desert, he was going to fall right into the poor and easily destroyed part of town. That was not at all what I wanted and I held on tightly until I felt the ring buzz [incoming: Green Lantern {Jenifer-Lynn Hayden} and Kryptonian].

Glancing over my shoulder, I saw a glowing green blob and a blue and red streak headed my way. I sent a message to Jenifer using the ring and tossed Red Mask up as high as I could. Great Manila Folders that hurt. My whole being protested, and I was left panting but it was fun to watch Jenifer smack him with a giant skillet as hard as she could and sent him flying out beyond the city limits.

"Leave the fighting up to us," Kara commanded as she flew passed me.

I wasn't about to argue as I followed her, I'm not ashamed to admit that I was going to be useless in a fight at the moment. Red Mask had landed well outside the City and was lying on the ground when we arrived. He started laughing when he saw us hovering over him.

"Nadine Pickett, the Lantern who refuses to tell the world her name," he spat blood out of his mouth "want to know how I knew you were a Green Lantern…hmmm?" he asked snarling at me "a confirmation was the ring falling out of your pocket and left your blonde friend frantic put it back before anyone else could see it like I had. I knew you were one when I got into your face, you Lanterns all put off the same energy and I can see it!" he started laughing "I'm going to tell everyone! You should have stayed dead!"

"No, you're not, Barty," Jenifer shook her head slowly "none of this had to happen, you know. You could have kept working with us at S.T.A.R. Labs. We were making a difference."

Red Mask snarled "and watch you be with my Catlin? With the girl who should _be my wife_ _and not yours!_ " he screamed "you stole my girlfriend, you fucking dyke!"

"And you are going to a holding cell under the lab," Jenifer told him and called up a box to put around him but she was too slow, he speed away in a streak of red light "what the hell?"

"Learned a new trick, Lantern!" he laughed out loud from the zipping streak.

He grunted when he smacked into the shield that I constructed. He bounced off and threw lightning at me that was easy to dodge but he used the distraction to start running again. Only to smack into a very unmoving Kara. He flew backwards a good twenty feet.

"How do we catch him?" I called to Jenifer

She didn't respond as Kara hit the downed Red Mask with her freeze breath. It was just enough to put a sheen of frost on his jacket. Red Mask started screaming and writhing before Jenifer sealed in him a green box that had white bits of mists wafting off of it. Jenifer was frowning as she made the box sound proof.

"He used to be a friend," she told us "he lost his mind when the powers came."

"You have a cell that can hold him?" Kara asked as I floated down to stand next to her

Jenifer nodded "we do and if you want, we can take Livewire off your hands as well."

"That would be nice," Kara nodded quickly "she's moody."

***GL***

Alex was pissed that I'd destroyed her device, so was Vasquez for that matter but the bad guy was caught and no one had been hurt…more than they already had. Dr. Collier ordered me to take a few days of rest so to recuperate. The Re-Gen had already healed what Red Mask had done.

So I spent the day, lazing on the couch eating a Lena approved diet (salads, mostly salads). Some random show was on and I asleep when someone came bursting through the door. I jerked up and winced, why do people do this to me? Lucy stood at the end of the couch glaring at me and I glared right back.

"Did you pick the lock?" I demanded

She ignored that in favor of one of her own "why aren't you in a hospital? Why the hell did you just leave the hospital when there was a mad man on the loose? The same one who put you there to begin with?"

I played dumb "he got out?" and blinked at her "I didn't know that. Look I'm not a fan of hospitals and it got overwhelming so Lena brought me home. The doc on call told us that everything was fine and we just came home. I'm sorry, Lucy."

"I've been hunting for you all day!" she cried before throwing a stuffed tiger at my head "you pain in the ass!"

Oh, the tiger was soft "I'm sorry, why didn't you call me?" I asked hugging the tiger to my chest only to find that she was holding my phone out to me "oh, where was that?"

"I've had it since you decided to play hero at CatCo," she snarled, very enraged "take the damn thing or I'm going to feed it to you."

I slowly took it from her, trying to keep a hurt expression off my face as her anger towards me almost physically hurt. Even the big, bad Green Lantern inside me didn't know what to do. Took several tries to make my voice work before I could thank her for my phone, wasn't able to look at her though.

Lucy let out a frustrated sigh as I waited for her to leave. I jumped a little when she knelt down before me in front of the couch. Her warm hands rested on my knees and her rubs rubbed at the soft material of my sleeping pants. I ducked my head down further to keep her from seeing me.

"Hey," she spoke softly, a warm hand left my knee to caress my cheek "I'm sorry that I snapped at you but you scared me and I don't do well with being scared," I looked up at her, confused, her beautiful green eyes were misty and a little bloodshot as her chin trembled "ever since I was little I was told that I needed to conquer my fear because a fearful soldier is a dead one. Yesterday, Nadine," she gripped my knee tightly as she tried to rein in her emotions "I've never been more scared in my life, you died in my arms, Nadine. For three minutes your heart stopped beating and you were dead," she moved the hand off my knee to wipe at her tears, never letting go of my face "I watched you convulse because of the amount of electricity that bastard shot you with. That is something that I can never un-see."

"I'm sorry, I just…just thought that someone could use that chance to call for help…or something," I had the sudden urge to tell Lucy everything and spill secrets not my own "I just…the doctor said was I alright…I didn't mean to scare you, Luce, I didn't know he'd do that…I thought I'd…you hate me now, don't you?"

Lucy shook her head "no, I could never hate you, Nadine," she promised softly, tenderly "you are one of my most favorite people ever. That's why I'm so mad at you because you put yourself into danger. You risked yourself when you didn't have to. Then, I got scared a second time when I couldn't find you. I went to the hospital but they wouldn't let me up to your room because that bastard had been there and done damage."

I just nodded and didn't want to talk anymore so I asked "do you want to stay with me?" I asked and patted the couch beside me "we could get non-mealtime take out and ya know, snuggle or whatever it people do for comfort?"

Lucy nodded, her thumb gently rubbing at my cheek "I would like that very much."

So, that's what we did. We ordered wontons and pot stickers, found some ridiculous movie playing on TV and while we waited for the food Lucy used me before a pillow. I think she just wanted to hear my heart beating, to feel it beat.

Her reaction bothered me in several ways. One I was pissed off at myself for her discomfort. I never wanted to see her cry except for happy things. She was exciting to be around and I looked forward to it.

Second, was that she kept reacting in a way that made it seem like she had actual feelings for me beyond friendship. It was confusing and made me feel like a yoyo. I'm not sure how much longer I was going to be able to handle this back and forth.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six: The General…

Some days I honestly wonder about the sanity of Alexandra Danvers. I mean she is a complete badass who throws herself into the situation with gusto and sometimes has a plan. Okay…second thought, maybe it's the planning bit that has me rattled at the moment; no one ever said she was good at the planning. Alex had burst into Lena new apartment about two months after Lena had moved into, right after the hostage situation at CatCo.

"FAM!" Alex called bursting in through the door "WE HAVE AN EMERGENCY!"

"Yea, it's called IKEA," Kara called from the living room where we were trying to put a cabinet together for Alexis's room. Lena and Alexis were out with Cat and Carter "we've a house full of genius and are still defeated by pressed wood and bolts."

"Should have bought the one that was already together," I pointed out "could have floated it through the door. Green Lantern Delivery Services, not just brining criminals to justice."

Kara snorted and swatted at me "you are so dorky!" she raised an eyebrow when Alex collapsed onto the couch and threw an arm over her eyes "and what has you in this state, oh loveable sister of mine?"

"Siobhan," the three of us said together and Alex growled at us "no, it's serious this time. I dumped her, you guys, straight up dumped her last night and she came back for breakfast. She told me that all couples fight and that she was going to be the future 'Mrs. Danvers' come hell or high water. I lost her on the drive over, I've never been more appreciative of DEO training before and I've fought a hellgrammite!"

Kara and I blinked at each other before looking over at Alex "okay," Kara set down the tools she was working with "you've a crazy chica following you about now. How are we going to get rid of her?"

Alex sat up and looked at me "Nadine, I need you to go out with me."

"No," I shook my head "that was the least romantic asking out, even to get an ex off your scent, I've ever encountered," Alex sputtered and slid off the couch to the floor "try again and give me a plan."

Alex nodded "I want to show her I've moved on, show her that I have someone else. Siobhan knows you are single, Nadine. As one of my friends, I've talked you up to her, ya know. She thinks that I'm in love with half the people I work with."

Alex smacked me when I asked with a smirk "have you told Vasquez how you feel about her?"

"That is sparse on the details, Alex," Kara pointed out, chuckling at my comment.

"Nadine goes out on a date with me, some hand hold, some flirting….some kissing if need be." Alex turned red on that last one.

I sighed, Alex looked so pitiful that I had to help (also, secretly, I've wondered what it would be like to kiss Alex. I think the only person who hasn't wondered is Kara) "fine, Alex, I'll go out with you."

"WHAT?" Lucy yelped from the door where she was helping Cat and Alexis with shopping bags, she almost tripped over herself.

"I didn't know the two of you even liked each other in that manner, not the couple I was shipping," Cat hummed thoughtfully and gave Lucy a little shove "I wish you well and you, Lane, chop, chop, you're in the way."

I grinned at Alex and got a glare in return. She swore at me as I leapt towards her and tackled her flat. This was too good to pass up as I started kissing her cheek and professing my eternal love. Alex was trying to shove me off her while Kara was laughing herself silly.

Alexis saw this and thought it looked like fun. There was sort of a dog pile in Lena's living room when Lena and Carter made it to the apartment. When Alexis had jumped in to give her Aunty Alex kisses, Kara had somehow got involved.

We broke a lamp and then had to explain exactly what we were doing. By the end of it, Alex was getting less lethal glares from Lucy. Cat thought it was the funniest thing and gave Alex her own kiss to the cheek. Alex was beat red by this time.

***GL****

I actually had fun with Alex on our 'date'. We went to a sports bar, had greasy bar food, threw popcorn at bad calls watching women's international soccer on the TV and drank bad beer. I let Alex talk and learned a lot about Midvale where she and Kara had grown up. It was very insightful to both women.

Alex held the doors for me, pulled out the chair for me and held my hand for the most the night. It felt pretty natural…kinda as my feelings for her stayed at the best friend level. Only black mark on the night was after Alex had kissed me there at our table, Siobhan came out of nowhere and threw Alex's newly arrived beer into Alex's face; the whole glass.

The date ended after that. Alex went home to shower and as Kara had patrol tonight I went home because a lot of Alex's beer had gotten on me as well. For some reason, Lucy was there eating her way through my ice cream stash and watching really bad television. She was wearing sweats and a tank top, her hair up in a messy bun.

"How do you keep getting in here?" I asked just inside the door, raising an eyebrow at the sight of her.

Lucy stabbed at the ice cream "I had a key made," she shrugged "got tired of picking the lock."

"Nice to know," I tossed my jacket off to the side and noted that it landed next to the Green Lantern jacket that I'd given Lucy months ago "so, what are you doing here getting violent with frozen dairy?" I asked sitting down next to her

Lucy wrinkled her nose "you reek of beer."

I grinned madly "Siobhan dumped Alex's beer all over Alex, I got splattered but it was pretty epic," that put a little smile on Lucy's face "now, Lucy-Goosey, what are you doing here? Not that I mind, I enjoy these random visits but you look like you'd really like to punch someone."

Lucy sighed and lulled her head back against the couch "I really do want to punch someone. James is a dick and I dumped him."

"Huh?" I just blinked at her "say again…you and the almighty James 'The Jimmy' Olsen are no longer together?" Lucy rolled her eyes at me and pushed against my face with a cold hand "Luce!" I swatted her hand away "this is serious! You like…left the military for him! Moved to National City for him! I can go beat him up, I swear I can. If not I know FBI agents who wouldn't give a second thought to it."

Lucy snorted and gave a little smile "I am perfectly capable of putting the smack down on James Olsen, but thank you for the offer. I didn't just move to National City for him, Nadine, I moved here for me too," she sighed and looked over "I moved here because I wanted something different than just regulations and military standards. Having James was a sort of bonus but he admitted today that he's in love with Kara."

"Oh," I winced at her "he so does not have a chance with her? Right?" I asked and grimaced on Kara's behalf "he does realize that she's with Lena…right? Like they are the most likely to get married of the group…together."

Lucy snorted "We both know that he doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell," she started laughing then "he tried to convince me then that Kara was Supergirl," I froze at that, dick told Kara's secret without Kara knowing because would have alerted the Fam "said that she needed him to keep her safe or some such bullshit."

"Do you believe him?" I asked curiously "about Supergirl?"

Lucy shrugged "I don't really care one way or another, I'm more upset that he say he was in love with her because she 'needed' him."

"You moved into my guest room, didn't you?" I asked suddenly and Lucy nodded slowly "okay," I leaned against her wondering how that was going to work out with the whole Green Lantern thing "you do know I'm weird, right? I keep strange hours…things like that?"

Lucy growled playfully at me "stop trying to give me outs, Nadine, I'm staying and we're both going to like it."

I grinned as I leaned into her side and sighed happily "I really need to take a shower, my shirt is sticking to my stomach."

Lucy sniggered and gave me a shove "I wasn't going say anything," she grinned stealing Alexis name for me "but…you really do stink, Natty."

I grinned mischievously and tacked Lucy to the couch. She shrieked as the half melted ice cream carton got squished between us, coating us both in freezing goo. I grinned down at her before kissing her cheek and racing for my room as fast as I could go. Lucy swore vengeance for the death of the ice cream as she followed closely behind, she was laughing so I wasn't that worried.

***GL***

By the next I had forgotten that Lucy had moved herself into my apartment so I'd gotten about my normal morning routine. With headphones in I lost myself to the familiar burn of working out. I'd got through push up, chin up, squats and was finishing the rotation of with the salmon ladder when I noticed Lucy watching me from the kitchen table.

Mainly I noticed because I could smell coffee; last night's events came rushing back. I don't drink coffee but Lucy and Lena do. Lucy had this dopey grin on her face as I worked my way back down the ladder. She sighed heavily as I dropped back down and reached for the towel nearby, water bottle was a must.

"Morning, Lucy," I sat down across from her "how did you sleep?"

Lucy grinned "very peacefully, actually."

Lucy insisted on making breakfast while I took a shower. She was truly a good cook and seemed pleased that I devoured the omelet she'd made. We didn't really talk while we ate. I wanted to ask what Lucy planned to do now. Was she staying in National City, at CatCo or was she planning on moving somewhere else?

She left for work before I could ask. Therefore when my balcony alarms started going off while I was in my lab, lost in thought, I was rather happy for the distraction from the whole 'Lucy' subject. However, I didn't think the distraction would be finding a very flushed Alex in the company of Astra In-Ze who…was fussing over the DEO agent? Both looked disheveled and something my time in college taught me was 'sex hair'.

"Alex, what have you done?" I asked blinking at her from the door "more importantly, who have you done?"

"Shut up, Pickett," she growled as she pushed past me and into my apartment. Alex headed for my kitchen where she knew I kept the booze, well out of Alexis's curious and quickly learning hands.

"Wait, Beloved, I don't know if it's safe for you to enter." Astra fretted and hurried after Alex.

Alex didn't bother waiting for a cup, she drank straight from the bottle. I watched with mild amusement and a lot of confusion as Astra tried to take the bottle away and Alex fought her off. Astra kept calling Alex, her Beloved. There had to be a story behind this.

"So…the ring says she's not a clone," I grinned at Alex "what did you do to the General, Alex?"

"She's bonded with me," Astra grinned sappily, a look I never thought to see on the woman "she is my wife by Kryptonian standards."

"Huh?" I blinked quickly as the ring started processing what that meant in Kryptonian terms.

Alex took another drink, she wiped at her sweaty forehead with the back of her hand "so last night, Astra came to my apartment, I'd just gotten out of the shower and she was in the living room, pacing and started spouting nonsense and then…I have no idea what happened….we just," Alex turned a deeper shade of red, some of the flush looked more like a fever rash "had…sex."

"Several times," Astra grinned and picked up a piece of fruit from a bowl on the kitchen counter "oh, apple. I like apples."

Alex growled "it seemed like a really good idea and I couldn't help it! Fix this, Pickett!"

I stared at her before looking to Astra happily munching on an apple, I looked back to Alex "you do realize that I'm an engineer not a doctor, right? Are you feeling alright, Alex, you're looking…feverish."

"I'm fine," Alex snapped dangerously "and there's no way in hell I'm not taking this," she pointed at Astra "to the DEO."

I sighed and gently tapped Astra on the forearm, she swung her head around to face me "yes, Green One?"

"What brought you to Alex, Astra?" I sat down next to her on a barstool "what made you seek her out?"

Astra gazed longingly at Alex, who was surely on her way to get getting drunk "she's perfect. Strong and protective and smart. Everything that a person could want in a mate."

I sighed softly realizing that Astra must have been dosed with something "Astra, did you come into any foreign substances or chemical in the past twenty four hours?"

Astra scowled "that fool Lar-On got his little 'experiment' on me," she finally looked over at me "it was a white powder that he said was the perfect distraction for you and my niece."

Alex whimpered, swaying a little "I had sex with my sister's aunt."

I rolled my eyes at her "Alex, you're not blood related so calm down and we're going to have to go to Lena for this."

"What!" Alex hissed "why can't you do something here? You have a fucking lab!"

I just blinked at her "what part of engineer implies I deal with medical shit? I don't have any of that type of equipment, Alex, so that either means DEO…which it will eventually, or we go to Lena."

Alex glared darkly at me "fine, we'll go to Lena," she looked over at Astra "can you take me to Lena?"

Astra reached out and gently took the bottle from Alex and softly stroked her cheek "of course, my beloved. I would do anything you ask of me."

I raised an eyebrow as Alex melted into the touch and get flustered by the words. Made me wonder if Astra had dosed Alex when she went to her, if the powder had still been on her clothes. I shot a quick text to Lena and thanked cosmic forces that Lena had finished getting her new offices into working order.

Lena told me to bring them straight over. First task to doing that was getting Astra to stop kissing Alex and to take her down off my counter where she was sitting. That was done by braking Alex out of her 'Astra trance' and getting her to get Astra out the balcony door.

Arriving at Lena's meant landing on her office balcony and getting ushered four stories down to a lab that Lena had set aside so she could help me out. It'd been done out of habit because Lena was always helping me with something that I couldn't analyze myself. Alex's phone kept ringing and she thrust it at me as she was trying to convince Astra to let Lena draw blood while I emitted kryptonite radiation.

"Alex Danvers's phone," I answered.

Vasquez sounded confused "Nadine?" her voice was still a whisper "what are you doing answering Alex's phone?"

"Umm…she's busy and didn't have the hands to do it?" I responded trying to be as vague as possible "can I take a message for her?"

"No, I need Alex, that space ship that Lena was supposed to take a flight on today, The Venture," I nodded even though Vasquez couldn't see me "it suffered engine failure, Supergirl is reroute to stop it from crashing."

I swore softly (very grateful that my sister had a fear of flying) and looked back over at the Astra looking palely at the needle in her arm "Alex isn't going to be able to come in, Susan," I whispered softly and decided quickly for Alex's sake "can you have Henshaw come to LuthorCorp when he gets the chance? We sort of have a…situation of our own over here."

Vasquez let out a huff of air "fine but you owe me huge for this, Green Lantern. Even more so if Henshaw takes my head off."

***GL***

Henshaw arrived an hour later, bursting through the doors into the lab and had his weapon trained on Astra. Alex (who really wasn't looking good at this point) jumped between them and I got to tell Henshaw what was going on. Slowly the Martian lowered the gun with his perplexed look on his face. Best thing was Lena just huffing at him and told him he was in her way.

Astra wasn't as easily placated "he threatened my mate! I will protect her until the bond is completed, then you should fear, Martian," it was only Alex who was holding Astra back.

I frowned at the term 'mate' as it was the second time she'd used it. There was a point in Krypton's history where the word mate was used but that was before they started working to suppress the bestial mutation that had cropped up because of the natural kryptonite. The beasts taking mates gave them the idea of genes in the first place, after a study to find how and why mates were picked.

After the Codex was invented, the Kryptonians were able to silence those genes that passed the beast nature along. Thus it insured that their children didn't turn into monsters when exposed to radioactive stones. However, there'd been a beast who'd been a geneticist and had figured out a way to awaken the beast nature again, had done so with varying degrees of success.

One result was getting normal people to take mates and the other was full on transformation. Whether people kept their minds during transformation wasn't a high percentage. It was also the basis for the tech that the Ma'Tak used to convert themselves to Kryptonian and wreak havoc in Argo City. That geneticist was the last Kryptonian to be executed before Fort Rozz's construction.

This information triggered a thought, especially with what Astra had just said. I stepped between her and Henshaw "Astra, I promise that the Martian won't hurt Alex. He considers her family," I looked back over my shoulder "don't you?"

The man was quick to nod "yes, I do. She and Kara both are my family."

Astra thought about it and then nodded as Alex cooed to her, and glanced back up at me when I asked "Astra, the reason you are being overprotective is because Alex is changing, isn't she?"

"What?" Alex just blinked at me, she was sweating profusely and her words were a bit slurred "what do you mean?"

Lena looked up from her workstation "what she said! What do you mean, Bab?"

I let out a long breath "was not the Ma'Tak technology bases off of Kryptonian tech? Off of Mal-Zedd mad science?" I asked and Astra nodded slowly "did Lar-On copy Mal-Zedd's methodology?" there was a reason that Alex was looking sick.

Astra's eyes went wide as her mind finally snapped into gear "the fool did," she looked horrified at Alex "my beloved, I infected you with this madness, I am so sorry," she pulled the confused Alex close to her and looked to Lena "would you have any lamps that mimic Rao, the light of a red sun?"

"I-I can make one," Lena blinked rapidly, confused "Lex might have a design one on file to make Superman powerless."

Astra gulped and refused to let a paling Alex push her away "we need one or the conversion might kill my beloved. The yellow sun is charging her cells as she changes, the half changed cells will either explode or short out. It can kill her!"

I grimaced as I filled the room with a sickly green color. This was so different from helping Astra having blood drawn. I mean figuring out the green kryptonite radiation had been easy because Lena had that information on file. We'd had to explain to Alex that one should never throw away a bit of Lex's lunacy in case you needed it to undo what he'd done.

This hurt because I was trying to approximate what the red sun would feel like, what sort of solar radiation it would put off. It was like when you're trying to lift something that's very heavy and trying to use every muscle to do it. Lena put a double effort into finding the lamps when I stumbled over to the wall and slid down it, panting the whole time.

***GL***

Lena's lamps were made in record time, just before my ring depleted itself from a full charge. Alex's complexion had improved and she'd stopped overly sweeting. Astra watched with fascination as I summoned my power battery and recharged the thing. Then the woman helped me over to where Alex was sleeping on a newly installed couch.

The thing was shaped like an 'L' so Alex got half and I got the other. I had to wonder why Astra was being helpful but only asked if she could have Lena order some lunch. Playing lamp had wiped me out and I needed to sleep. That meant taking off the ring and that would mean an instant glucose drop.

Dr. Collier, borrowed from the DEO (he was only second to Alex in leading the field of xenobiology), got me set up with an IV drip and promised to wake me up when the food arrived. Henshaw figured that it would be safer to leave Alex at Lena's then dragging her out into the light of the yellow sun. Dr. Collier had agreed and was already setting up a room at the DEO for Alex.

I snagged Astra's hand as she moved to leave "thank you," I smiled at her tiredly "for helping me."

Astra took my hand in hers as she knelt down beside me "I should be thank you, Green One."

I grimaced at that "you need a better nickname for me," I teased before adding "you can call me Uccello, if you want. It's what my uncle used to call me; it means bird in Italian."

Astra frowned and tilted her head "why would you allow me that honor?" she asked "I tried to kill you."

I sighed "because you're family more than ever now. You were Kara's family before but now you're our family now. I know what the completed bond means for you, Astra," I sat up and patted the seat beside me "you will never be able to go against Alex in any manner…I think. The ring's info is iffy on that. However," I tried not to yawn "I can guess that Non was not happy that you didn't chose him as the perfect genetic partner. Pretty sure that you can't return to your soldiers."

Astra ducked her head, her expression was neutral but there was a great sadness behind her eyes "no, Non will not be happy with this because it invalidates our marriage. He still believes in the old laws," Astra sighed and rubbed her face with both hands "how is Kara going to handle this?"

I shrugged "maybe if you were to tell us why Lar-On even had that powder in the first place, that'd be a start. Also you promising never to hurt Alex…ever."

"I can't hurt her," Astra looked pained at just the thought as she looked over at Alex, Dr. Collier was giving the agent another bag of saline "she's part of me now, what makes my heart beat."

"I love sappy Kryptonians," I smiled and nudged Astra playfully when she glared at me "but really, Astra, the powder?"

Astra sighed heavily "Lar-On created it with the help of another Fort Rozz prisoner. Most of the information on Mal-Zedd was highly classified and redacted so they were only working on partial information. Have been since he arrived," she confessed "Non put out the call and knew that Lar-On was going to respond."

"What's the purpose of the powder?" I asked

Astra fidgeted and said lowly "he was experiment to get the formula right to change humans into beasts so that Non and I would have time to complete our task of Myriad. This partial it won't change them it will make them want to bond with one they find genetically compatible. It will give them strong feelings and possible relationships that will never end," Astra explained "the finished formula will also not change the humans," she sighed and never looked away from Alex "it will kill them. The alien population, Kara and I, it will change us."

"Will the partial formula change others into Kryptonians?" Lena asked rolling over on her office chair, cutting me off from asking what Myriad was "like it's doing to Alex. Which, I have estimated that it will take another four hours until completion, sixteen hours total from the time of infections."

Astra nodded "she is strong, she will make it," she smiled fondly at the sleeping brunette "however, the only way for a human to become Kryptonian is to be given the genetic template," Astra shrugged "like I did for Alexandra by completing our bond."

"You mean having sex?" Lena asked bluntly and Astra nodded "what if someone didn't complete the bond?"

"Then it would fade and no bond would exist." Astra stated simply

"No sex, right," Lena nodded "the safest sex is no sex."

***GL***

I got summoned to the DEO by Kara. Alex still had another three and half hours before Dr. Collier and Lena determined the conversion would be over. I didn't want to go but apparently Superman was asking for me. I had no idea why.

He and Kara were at the command center with an upset looking Vasquez (her face was neutral but you could see it in her eyes) and a death glaring Henshaw. On the screens were videos of Supergirl and Superman rescuing that spaceship, the one that Lena had helped build.

"Nice save," I pointed towards the screen "is there a celebration cake?"

Kara muttered "I wish," and glared at her cousin " _Superman_ here thinks that Lena had something to do with this," she said his name funnily and he gave her a reproachful glare, I raised an eyebrow at that wondered how Kara was holding back from defending her girlfriend "and won't believe me that she's innocent."

"She's a Luthor," he sneered, Kara clenched her fists tight enough I heard her knuckles crack "she shouldn't even be allowed to keep her child! She'll just corrupt the poor thing."

My reply was sending him through the roof with a well-placed uppercut green fist to the face before Kara could move. I scowled at the bits of cave roof that came down with his exit. Henshaw just tapped his foot on the floor with his arms across his chest as debris and dust littered the floor.

"Sorry, just put it on my tab and…don't tell Lena," I sighed and looked back towards the hole "I'm promised I'd stop doing that," I blinked a few times and glanced at Kara "you're welcome by the way, Supes'," she nodded still glaring at the ceiling "so has Supergirl been informed of our latest alien kerfuffle? Which I have more info on by the way."

Henshaw shook his head and frowned apologetically at Kara "I thought it best not to until Superman had gone back to his own city. Given who's involved, I thought that best."

"Who…what?" poor Kara was so very confused as she looked away from the hole I'd made…well, Superman had made.

"Just get rid of Super-douche," I patted her on the shoulder "and I'll tell you everything otherwise some very important people are going to be put in a lot of danger," I looked over at Henshaw "is it okay if I kidnap Vasquez for this mission?"

"Uhh…sir, I have Agent Savenlovich as my shadow today," Vasquez pointed out "she's currently in the armory."

Henshaw nodded "take her too."

"We'll need a DEO computer and a SWAT team on stand-by," I informed Vasquez "we are hunting a Fort Rozz prisoner."

She nodded "where are we setting up shop, not here I presume?"

I leaned in and whispered "meet me at the LuthorCorp building. Trust me."

Vasquez nodded and hurried off as Superman came stomping back into the base. His hair was disheveled and he looked royally pissed off; not that I cared. Kara stepped in-between us as Superman tried going after me.

"You know, Kal, you should really take a step back and realize that you don't have the right to judge anybody, especially not a parent," I told him evenly "if all you want to do is bash then go back to Metropolis and leave the investagion to us."

"You cannot be impartial!" he hissed

I smiled at him "yes, I can but you can't. You have too much hatred towards her last name to make any sort of rational judgment. I know that Lena isn't behind this, she wasn't on that plane because she hates flying of any kind."

"Enough," Henshaw stated firmly "Green Lantern, you have places to be. Go now!"

***GL***

I arrived well before Anya and Vasquez. Astra was right where I'd left her, sitting next to Alex and holding her hand tightly. The General gave me a nod as I came over to check Alex's vitals. According to a scan with the ring, now that I knew what I was looking for, it showed that Alex was at 95% conversion.

"She should wake up soon," Astra stated proudly "she will beat Lena's prediction by two hours."

I smiled at "were you in love with her before this?" I asked curiously "you don't have to answer, I'm just interested if the whole 'mating' thing takes that into consideration. If love is because we're compatible or if it's something else."

Astra smiled at me "you sound like Kara when she was little, she would ask me questions like that. When we'd sit out at night and I would teach her the stars. I would tell her that love is undefined because love just is," she looked back to Alex as she said this "I tell you, Uccello, that I greatly admired Alexandra beforehand, may have even loved her but that was something that I was never going to allow myself to do. She was forbidden, a secret passion."

"I'm glad that you got her, though," I said cautiously and Astra looked up sharply at me "you seem happier in the past however many hours than you have since I've met you," I shrugged "Alex seemed…alone. Don't get me wrong but Alex has dedicated her life to taking care of her sister. So much so that she forgot about herself. She's never successfully dated and I think that's more to do with the fact that she has to keep a big part of her life hidden."

"The DEO?" Astra asked

I nodded "yes, and Astra, Alex is family. She deserves to be happy and if you're not it then I will work to find a way to break the mating bond."

Astra grinned "it is pleasing that my Beloved has inspired such loyalty and sense of family."

"You know, as you are mated with her, I can't kill you without harming her but I can seriously make your day very unpleasant," I grinned at Astra, who was quirking an eyebrow at me "and that's without my power ring."

Astra just snorted in response.

***GL***

Anya had this dopey grin on her face when she and Vasquez arrived, led to the lab by Lena and Alexis. I wasn't wearing the suit so the little girl ran right to me, stopped when she saw Anya. Alexis squealed and ran as fast as her little legs could carry her to the agent; where she was scooped up and scent into a giggling frenzy as her face was peppered with kisses.

Once Lena was able to pry Alexis off Anya, the mother and little girl left to go have lunch. I wanted to go with but there was work to do. Quickly I explained what was going on and both the DEO agents got pretty serious pretty rapidly. Anya was a bit confused as to why we weren't at the DEO but Vasquez understood completely. Superman would go off his rocker if he knew.

Vasquez set up her computer, explaining everything Anya as she went. They'd be using the DEO satellites to run facial recognition for known Fort Rozz prisoners. Another tasked with trying to track the bit of kryptonite radiation that was part of the powder's chemical makeup. Lar-On was using his own blood and genetic code for the base, therefore it had trace amounts of kryptonite. Granted it was red kryptonite but that gave off a signature just the same.

While Vasquez was doing that, Anya was monitoring the NCPD scanners for any reports of possible alien activity. Lar-On was going to stand out quite a bit…well one would think. However, there was nothing but pretty normal calls the police.

I gave up and went home as Vasquez and Anya went through a shift change and we got two different agents in to watch the scans. If Lucy wasn't living with me then I would have stayed and slept on the white couch but that just seemed like a bad idea.

***GL***

Lucy was making dinner when I got back to the apartment. She had headphones in and was doing a little dance around the kitchen as she worked. I couldn't help but watch the short brunette woman enjoy herself completely free of her daily worries. She caught sight of me watching in the reflection of the microwave door. Lucy grinned but didn't turn.

"Instead of standing there like a creeper," she called out after having pulled out her headphones "why don't you set the table and fill some glasses with some ice."

I wondered over to stand beside Lucy and nudged her with my shoulder "you didn't have to make dinner, you know, which smells insanely delicious by the way."

Lucy ducked her head and shrugged "I wanted to and I'm really glad that you're allowing me to stay here without me even asking."

I gently turned her to face me "Lucy, you don't have to make dinner or do anything as a thank you. I don't need that. You can stay forever if you wanted and still not have to do that."

Lucy gently patted my cheek "I know and you will never know how much that means to me but Natty, I love to cook. I love cooking for people I care about. I care about you," she gently drew her fingers down my jaw "I care about you a great deal," she pulled away to take care of the skillet, stirring what she had cooking "I have since we met, Natty."

I couldn't help but smile at her "I am really happy you're here, Lucy," I said softly "you believe that, right?"

"I do," she nodded before adding playfully "now set the table, woman!"

***GL***

I was really happy that I went home. After dinner which there was nothing left of because I totally ate all that Lucy would let me have and the cheesecake dessert. I waddled away from the table to the couch. Lucy happy draped her legs over my lap and wiggled her way down into the couch.

"Lucy, what are your plans?" I asked cautiously as I messaged her calf "are you going to stay in National City?"

Lucy sat up and moved her legs so she could sit beside me "of course I'm staying in National City," she said softly "I actually like my job at CatCo. It's not prosecuting criminals but I find it very fascinating how much legal trouble Cat can stir up for herself any given day," I had to laugh at that "I am right where I want to be, Nadine. Please don't fear me leaving. I'm not going to."

I let out a long breath and nodded as Lucy smiled. She cuddled up with me and turned on the TV. Lucy hummed happily along with the theme song of the show that'd just come on, her fingers keeping the rhythm by tapping on the back of my hand that she'd pulled around her middle.

"What is it about you that makes me want to tell you all my secrets?" I asked softly with my chin on her shoulder.

I could see her grin "because I make you feel safe, which is awesome by the way and you know that I'll keep your secrets just like I know that you'll keep mine."

I smiled remember all the half-hearted death threats that came over lunches and dinners that Lucy and I had shared. In the past however many months since Lucy had marched her way into my life, I'd become her confidante. She'd told me about her childhood and how her favorite place to live when her father was still getting transferred all over the world was France. Lucy could speak the language with surprising ease.

"My father tired murdering me when I was fifteen," I whispered lowly, I couldn't help tightening my arms around Lucy when she froze; I felt that Lucy needed to know this "my younger sister gave him my diary where I mentioned that I had feelings for a girl in my class. I was trying to figure out my feelings and my diary was the only place safe enough share what I was going through. I thought my diary was in a safe place but I underestimated Riley's determination to appease our father by digging up dirt on me," Lucy's grip on my hand and knee were starting to become painful but I kept talking "she was he's favorite and she didn't understand the consequences of her actions, she was barely ten years old at the time. He'd been drinking with my uncle, who'd just gotten home on leave from the marines."

I stopped talking as I needed to reign the emotions that threatened to choke me; the fear and acceptance that I'd felt when the knife had pierced my side that my life was over. The sheer and absolute terror when I'd seen my dairy in his hands and my mother pleading for him to calm down. This was so much easier to talk about when I was my Green Lantern self because it didn't feel like it was connected to me personally.

Lucy interlaced her fingers with my and started to gently caress my knee as if urging me to continue, so I did "my father had always had this scary temper and it got worse when he drank. I'm not sure I ever remember a time when didn't have a beer in his hand. He was a prominent businessman in our community and was great friends with the police chief, they'd gone to school together. My mother only ever tried leaving him once when I was three. I remember the cast that she'd gotten as a result and how my older sister, Melody, drew a knight on it to protect her," I let out a long breath and let it take those remembered emotions away with it "he wasn't a religious man but his beliefs were certainly mired in the church he'd grown up in. I'm not even sure if he went after me because I was in love with Heather Midas or because it was just another point proven in the failure that I as to him. He told me he was going to beat the gay out of me. My mother pleaded for him to stop and that's when he decided that he'd created me and he was going to end me," I paused when Lucy turned and buried herself into my chest as her hand went to my side over the scar.

Lucy's voice was muffled as she asked "how could he do that? How did you survive?"

I gently combed my fingers through her soft hair "it's amazing what people can justify to themselves. How they can convince themselves that almost anything can be right. I survived because my mother ran to my uncle three doors over at a friends and brought him back. Oh, I did try to get away from him, you know. It wasn't a totally one sided fight but he'd already stabbed me with a kitchen knife when my mother and uncle came back," Lucy looked up at me, her green eyes watery and her already shed tears soaked into my shirt "they took me to a hospital two towns over that was in another county and I went to live with my uncle afterwards. He tried his best and got it arranged so that if I worked hard enough that I would have scholarships to any university that I wanted to try for. I lived with his girlfriend after he was killed in Iraq six months after I was out of the hospital. The last time I talked to any of my blood related family was my mother telling me she loved me as she was leaving me at the emergency room."

Lucy didn't know how to respond to what I'd told her. I think she was trying to process what she'd heard and that was alright. It's my story and even I never really know what to say at the end of it even at the prompting of a therapist. I gently urged Lucy back to cuddling and she clung to me.

"Thank you for telling me that," Lucy whispered a long while later "it must have been hard to bring it all back up."

"It was but I wanted to tell you," I admitted "I wanted you to understand the reasons I am the way I am. That was a very defining moment in my life and it changed it."

Lucy nodded, her cheek rubbing against my shirt "still, thank you for trusting me."

"Always, Counselor, always." I smiled as I felt this massive weight lift off my shoulders, the burden of the event would always be there but it was more about the fear of Lucy's reaction that was going away.

***GL***

It was Jess who woke me the next morning with a persistent phone call. I'd woken up with Lucy wrapped around me in my bed. She hadn't been there when I'd gone to sleep but I really liked that she was there and very comfy for the cuddling. That feel-good-feeling left instantly with Jess's near panicked voice telling me that Lena frantically needed me in her office.

I was barely awake as I scrambled out of bed, waking Lucy as I bleary sought for my shoes. Lucy went back to sleep when I told her I'd call her later…emergency at L-Corp; Lucy had just nodded and burrowed her way back under the blankets.

Jess was in so much trouble. I broke at least ten traffic laws as I sped to L-Crop on my motorcycle because I forgot I could fly! Then I find that Lena was sitting at her computer, calmly typing away when I burst through her office doors, a stich in my side.

"What…the…tap-dancing…hell?" I demanded in a huff, leaning over with my hands on my knees "what's the emergency?"

Lena raised an eyebrow and looked me over with a critical eye "love the ducky sleeping pants, I'm going to have to give Jess a raise if she can get you here in your pj's," she teased before pointing to her personal bathroom "shower, brush your teeth, clothes, now, food later."

It was with a great amount of annoyance that I followed her commands. Even more of an annoyance was the fact that Lena kept clothes for me at her office. The toothbrush was nice though.

Took a moment to look in the mirror after I'd finished dressing and tossed my other clothes in to her hamper. My shaggy sandy colored hair needed trimmed and my brown eyes were the same color as sunlight through honey (that's how my mom used to describe the color). Could definitely that German ancestry with the low brow and broad face. Meh…my looks were whatever.

When I came out of the bathroom Lena had steaming cartons of breakfast foods sitting on her coffee table, where she was holding out a fork. I grudgingly took the fork and glared at her before digging into my food. Lena thought that was pretty amusing and let the meal be a silent one.

When we were done eating she finally spoke "so Kara texted me this morning," I looked curiously at her, normally Lena was giddy when Kara texted her. I think I know more about Kara because of Lena then what Kara's told me. Why does everyone tell me about their love lives? Ugh…people "she and Clark Kent are coming by in…thirty minutes to interview me about not being on The Venture. I kind of want you here for that."

"Why? You don't need my help to eviscerate the man," I pointed out "Kara would probably do it for you willingly, she looked seconds from bashing him with a club the last time I saw her."

"But I don't want her too," Lena chewed at her lower lip "I don't want to put her in that position. I mean, her friendship is already tenuous with James because of me."

"His relationship with everyone is tenuous because he won't shut up," I growled, I wanted to mention that Lucy had broken up with him but that was Lucy's news to tell. I rubbed hard at my face and nodded "good grief. Fine…" I leaned back on the couch "I'll be your bad guy."

Lena grinned victoriously and nodded. Felt like all of five minutes had passed before Jess was knocking on the doors and announcing that 'Miss Luthor, you have visitors'. I was rubbing at my eyes when Clark Kent and Kara Danvers ambled through the door, I winked at Kara when she sent a smile my way.

Clark looked me over and turned his focus on Lena "Miss Luthor, I trust you know why we're here?"

"It was amateur police hour down at The Daily Planet and this was a stop on the scavenger hunt?" I asked and caused the man to scowl over at me "Mr. Kent, so lovely to see you again. Last time was a year and half ago. You and the other Lane sister, forget her name, were interviewing me because of that dude with the facemask had attacked Metropolis and then fled to Gotham. How've you been?"

"Miss Pickett?" Clark frowned at me, interest that he remembered my name; though I do stand out when I'm being an ass "what are you doing here?"

"I make people ask questions," I grinned at him "that's why Miss Luthor hired me. Let me guess what questions you want to ask…hmm? You want ask why she wasn't on the spaceship yesterday and why she made the move to National City from Metropolis. Maybe ask her what her perfect weekend is or maybe about the various charities that Miss Luthor donates to and what their causes are?"

Clark snarled at me "I'm here for the truth. Miss Luthor was supposed to be on that plane."

"I was, but I was busy. I really hate flying, Mr. Kent. Takes everything I have to get onto a plane," Lena had that small smirk "plus I was having breakfast with my family. Nothing nefarious or wicked. Just waffles and bacon. Not every Luthor as aspirations of genocide and world domination," Lena got up from her desk and went over to her bookshelf. From there she took a small flash drive from a little can, I was curious as to why it was there but Lena has her mysterious side "if you want answers, try this. Maybe it'll put some rational steel back into that Kansas wheat."

Clark huffed his way out of the room. Kara lingered, happily grinning before rushing over and hugging Lena. The pair honestly forgot I was there, that's okay there were still donuts on the coffee table.

"Sooo, you know how I sent Adam that letter from Cat?" Kara grimaced a little and ducked her head as Lena raised an eyebrow at her "well, he won't stop asking me out."

Lena snorted "does he know he's barking up a tree that's already taken?" she demanded folding her arms over her chest.

"I keep telling him," Kara nodded "which is why I was hoping that you'd talk to Cat about it. I can't, Lena, because I don't want to hear how this is all my fault because of my meddling. I just wanted her to have a relationship with him because every parent should have a chance to have a relationship with their children."

I frowned and remembered my talk with Lucy last night, I stepped in before Lena could "Kara, not ever parent is worthy of that, though and that's between the parent and child. I think that you should have that talk with Cat yourself. Tell her why you felt you needed to send the letter and that Adam won't leave you alone."

"But I hate it when she's mad at me," Kara confessed letting her whole body sag "she's like another mother to me, my mentor and an inspiration and I really don't like disappointing her."

Lena caught Kara's face in her hands "babe, trust me, Bab is right. Cat will respect you more if you are the one to talk to her instead of me," Lena kissed Kara gently "channel some of that Super-confidence and face my aunt. We both love you, you dork."

That's when I left the office, shaking my head and found Clark waiting impatiently the elevators not looking happy. It was probably because Lena's office was sound proof he couldn't hear what had been after he'd left. That dude needed a real chill pill.

***GL***

I called Lucy after I left L-Corp heading for a nearby bakery; wanted to get some goodies for the girls stuck in the lab. Lucy actually laughed at me over Lena's 'emergency' and my handling of Clark Kent and then stopped when I told her about what Adam was doing. I know, as a lawyer, she was already thinking of the legal ways to make him back off.

"Twenty bucks says that Kara wimps out," Lucy was smiling, I could hear it "and either goes on a date with Adam or Lena is the one to tell Cat about his advances."

I snorted as I pushed my way out of the bakery with two boxes and a holder of coffee balanced on my arm "while that might be a high odds bet, I'm gonna have to back my girl, Kara. I think she'll tell Cat or find some way to make Adam back off. A date with me says she uses Alexis to do it."

"If you wanted a date, Miss Pickett, all you have to do is ask," Lucy purred silkily "because if you wait on that bet, it might be a while before Kara stands up for herself."

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, a block away from L-Corp and closed my eyes "would you want to go on a date with me?" I asked sounding unsure and a little scared, I could hear it in my voice.

Lucy let out a dramatic, theatrical sigh and hummed for a second before "yes," she finally put me out of my misery "I would love to go on a date with you but I want to plan it."

"Okay," I drew the word out, feeling this light and bubbly feeling in my chest that made me check to see if I was actually floating "but I asked so shouldn't I plan it?"

"Mmm-hmm…you did and I'm proud of you, Natty, however I have an idea for our first date and I will explain everything later," she sounded confident and happy "and I'll have to talk to you later, I can see Cat heading my way with that twitch in her left eyebrow. Later, babe…"

***GL***

Like that Lucy was gone and left me grinning. A grin that was still there when I arrived at L-Corp. When I arrived back down at the labs, I found that Alex was fully awake and that she was eating lunch with the other three women. Alex excitedly took the boxes of donuts from me as I sat down on her free side at the table.

"So, how do you feel?" I asked nudging Alex in the side.

Alex looked down at her side and frowned a little "I feel different, I didn't even really feel that. Dr. Collier says that it's entirely possible that I'll start exhibiting more than just tough skin."

"Flying's the best," I whispered to her and grinned when Alex raised an eyebrow at me "it is, it really is, it's like an intense bout of therapy. Like hitting the open highway on your motorcycle and hitting top gear with no cop in sight."

Alex's frown vanished and she grinned "that does sound amazing, you'll have to teach me."

I nodded and winked at Astra "deal, but your beloved is going to have to teach you how to do the laser eye thingy and pretty much the rest of it because flying is all I got in my teacher's wheelhouse."

Astra bowed her head to me "thank you, Uccello."

I bowed my head to her and looked over at to Vasquez "have we found anything on the scans?"

She grimaced and nodded, swallowing her mouthful of food before saying "we have but we have pings from all over the city on the kryptonite scan. Facial recognition has turned up several hits and have been passed along to the SWAT teams per Director Henshaw's orders," she frowned then "only one had a suspicious device and the others were harmless. They are in holding until you and Supergirl decided what to do with them."

I nodded looked over to where Dr. Collier was working in the lab, pouring over the microscope "and have we found a way to neutralize this chemical/powder thing?"

"No," Vasquez shook her head "nothing yet," she sighed and looked over at the lab area "it changed once it got into Agent Danvers's bloodstream."

I let out a frustrated sigh and laid my head down on the table. This waiting for something bad to happen was bugging the crap out of me. Alex gently patted my on the back of my head, it was comfortingly.

***GL***

Clark Kent had finally left National City. Took him most of the day to do it and only after he'd found out that the explosion as supposed to kill Lena. It was irksome that he didn't care about Lena's life but whatever, we didn't need him to figure this out.

My night was spent on patrol with Kara getting Lucy's running commentary from her night out with Anya and Winn at the National City Comic Convention. Lucy went because Anya had asked her for help, Winn tended to get excited about these things and Anya couldn't keep up with him. Basically, Lucy went as a translating buffer.

Actually, Kara and I did end up at the convention anyways. We got suckered in by people in some pretty convincing Green Lantern and Superman/girl cosplay. Truth be told, we'd only gone there because the crowds were an enticing target if you were trying to inflict high casualties. It was weird that Lucy sent me a picture of her, Winn and myself (as the Green Lantern) and both Winn and Lucy had smug looks on their faces.

Like they knew a secret that the other didn't. It was hilarious and Kara couldn't stop giggle as we flew away to get back to patrolling. Especially after I told her about me asking Lucy out. It would seem that everyone at CatCo knew about Lucy and James's break up.

Only thing Kara was worried about was me being a rebound which led to me telling her how I'd actually met Lucy Lane. I've never seen Kara looked more stunned or proud before. I thought she was going to crash into the side of a building.


End file.
